Akashic Rules

Akasha is the power of creation itself, the very essence of magic. Akasha resonates with arcane, divine, and psionic energy, often acting as a natural amplifier for those power sources, though it is potent in its own right. Sages and scholars have debated whether akasha is the result of those power sources mixing and meshing with the life energy of mortal beings, or if perhaps it is the undiluted source from which those diverse powers sprang. What is known is that all creatures have some facility to access this power or be accessed by it.

Veils are the most common tools by which akashic magic is utilized, created when a creature channels akashic energy through natural conduits in the body, known as chakra. This energy is then molded by the willpower of the creature from which it sprang into a semi-tangible construct capable of converting the wielders life energy, known as essence, into a near infinite variety of effects.

# **Veilweaving**

## **Shaping and Using Veils**

If you take levels in a veilweaving class, you gain the ability to shape an increasing number of veils each day. When shaping your veils, you can choose any veils on your veil list each day, but each must be shaped into a different chakra slot. The chakra slots available to each veil are listed in its description. If a veil can be shaped in multiple chakra slots, you must choose the chakra slot you are shaping it in when you shape it. You cannot shape the same veil more than once, even if it can be shaped in multiple chakra slots.

Shaping veils normally requires you to get a good night’s rest, the same as if you were resting to regain spell slots, and then spending 1 hour in meditation to shape your available shaped veils each day. You cannot shape more veils than your maximum. If you already have your maximum veils shaped, you can unshape any of your currently shaped veils or replace any number of them with newly shaped veils. Shaped veils do not have a maximum duration, and stay shaped until you rest to shape new veils and replace them.

If you choose to shape fewer than your maximum number of veils, or if any of your veils are unshaped during the day due to an effect or ability, you may meditate for one hour to shape new veils up to your maximum. You cannot replace any veils you already have shaped when preparing your veils in this way. If one of your veils had been unshaped this day due to an effect or ability, you must shape that veil again.

If you get the ability to shape veils from multiple sources, such as multiclassing two different veilweaving classes, you add the number of veils you can shape from all sources together. If you have multiple veil lists, you combine them when determining which veils you can shape.

If you lose the ability to shape a veil you currently have shaped, that veil is immediately unshaped.

## **Chakra Slots**

Characters possess chakra slots which they use to shape and bind their veils. Every character has ten of these slots, and if a character has a veil shaped it normally fills one of these slots. The ten slots are: Hands, Feet, Head, Wrist, Shoulders, Headband, Neck, Belt, Chest, and Body. These slots share names with many magic item slots, but veils shaped in these slots do not count as magic items worn in these slots.

A character cannot normally have more than one veil shaped in a single Chakra Slot, though there are a few ways to do so, such as using the Twin Veil feat.

## **Anatomy of a Veil**

The description of a veil has numerous features that explain how they work. Here is an example veil:

Example Veil: Cuirass of Confidence
**Class:** Daevic, Helmsman, Lunar, Vizier
**Slot:** Chest
**Saving Throw:** Will negates
*This golden veil is a pure construct of your unwavering belief that the world is rightfully yours.*
While wearing this veil you project an unshakeable aura of authority that makes other beings naturally inclined to trust you. The attitude of any creature that fails a Will save against this veil is automatically improved by one step; they must make this save as soon as they come within 60 feet of the wearer. This ability lasts for 1 hour per character level at which point the affected target’s attitude drops one step. Any improvements to the affected creature’s attitude resulting from successful Diplomacy checks or other similar actions taken after the creature was affected by the ability remain. This veil has no impact on creatures without sight. Once a creature has passed or failed their save against this ability they cannot be affected again for 24 hours.
**Essence:** For each point of essence invested in this ability you gain a +1 insight bonus to Diplomacy checks against any creature that has been affected by this veil’s primary ability within the past 24 hours.
**Chakra Bind (Chest): [D19, He12, Vi18]** Binding this veil to your Chest chakra imbues it with even more potent abilities; when an opponent targets you with a melee or ranged attack, you can spend an immediate action to make a Diplomacy check. You can use the result as your AC or touch AC against that attack. If this attack comes from an opponent against whom you would gain a bonus to Diplomacy checks, that bonus applies to this check as well.

**Descriptors:** These are the descriptors of the veil. They function identically to how descriptors work for magical effects in Pathfinder’s core magic rules. If an effect would affect spells of a specific descriptor (such as an immunity to mind-affecting effects), they also affect veils with those descriptors. For special descriptors used for veils, see the Descriptors section below.

**Class:** These are the classes that have this veil on their veil list. Sometimes, a class will be released after a veil was first printed, in such a case that class will say what veils are on their veil list as part of their description.

**Slot:** These are the slots that the veil can be legally shaped in. Some veils can be shaped in more than one slot, which is chosen when the veil is shaped. These are also the slots the veil can be bound to. You can only bind a veil to the same slot it is shaped to. For example, if you have a veil that could be shaped in your Hands or Feet slot, and you had the ability to bind both slots, you must choose which slot it is shaped in, and thus bound to, when you first shape the veil.

**Saving Throw:** This notes whether the veil has an effect that requires a saving throw. The saving throw DC for a veil is equal to 10 + the essence invested in it + your veilweaving modifier (see Additional Mechanics).

**Flavor Text:** Veils often feature a line of italicized flavor text before their description.

**Description:** This portion of the veil details the abilities granted when the veil is shaped.

**Essence:** This defines what benefits you receive when the veil is invested with essence (see Using Essence).

**Chakra Bind:** This section details what additional benefits or abilities you get when you bind the veil to the listed chakra (see Binding Veils).

**Bind Reminder:** The letters and numbers listed in brackets after the chakra bind are the bind reminders, showing which levels the bind is unlocked by various classes. Not every class that has access to a veil will necessarily have the unlocks to bind it, which is why the Lunar has no bind reminder, despite the Cuirass of Confidence being on its list.

## **Using Essence**

Akashic Magic uses an energy called essence to fuel your veils and powers. Your pool of essence points (also called an essence pool) is normally increased by taking levels in a veilweaving class, but can also be increased by other abilities, or by taking most akashic feats. A character with no features granting them essence has an essence pool of zero.

Characters who have at least one point of essence can use their swift action to invest their essence in any of their essence receptacles. An essence receptacle is any ability, feature, or veil that can be invested with essence.

When investing your essence, you can divide your total pool of essence however you like amongst all of your essence receptacles, up to your essence capacity. You cannot invest more essence in a receptacle than your essence capacity. If you have a feature that allows you to change a selected effect each time it is invested with essence, you can do so every time you spend a swift action to invest your essence, even if you leave the same amount of essence in that receptacle.

Each character has an essence capacity based on their character level, though veilweaving classes often increase your capacity.

 6th – 11th
 12th – 17th
 18th – 20th

Certain magic items and feats can let you bypass or increase your essence capacity for specific features, such as the akashic catalysts item or the Enhanced Capacity feat.

### **Essence Capacity and High-HD Creatures**

Creatures and NPCs with higher than 20 Hit Dice continue to progress their essence capacity, as per the following table:

### **Corrupted Essence**

Via the manipulation of dark magics or being inflicted by a deathly curse a creature may suffer the effects of having their
essence corrupted. When a number of points of a creature’s essence is corrupted, the corruption first affects their un-burned non-temporary essence, followed by their burned non-temporary essence, followed lastly by any temporary essence they possess. Essence that is already corrupted cannot be corrupted again.

Corrupted essence functions as normal for points of essence, save that it imposes the following drawbacks:

* A creature whose essence has been corrupted suffers a penalty to their Strength score equal to the total number of points of corrupted essence they possess. If a creature’s Strength score is reduced to 0 while they have one or more points of corrupted essence, they die (or are destroyed, if they are a construct or undead creature). If non-temporary corrupted essence is burned, the creature still suffers the penalty to their Strength score while the corrupted essence is burned.
* While a creature has corrupted essence invested in one of their essence receptacles, at the end of each of their turns they suffer damage equal to the total number of points of corrupted essence they have invested in their essence receptacles. This damage cannot be prevented, transferred or split and ignores hardness, damage reduction, and resistances. If a creature has corrupted essence and doesn’t invest it, they don’t suffer damage from that essence.
* Whenever a creature’s corrupted essence is burned, that creature suffers 2 points of damage for each point of corrupted essence burned. This damage cannot be prevented, transferred or split and ignores hardness, damage reduction, and resistances. A creature does not suffer this damage if their essence is corrupted while it is already burned.

The corruption of a creature’s essence is normally permanent. This corruption can be removed from all of a creature’s essence by casting a *restoration* spell on them (or a similar effect), and *lesser restoration* or an effect that can remove curses (such as *remove curse*) can remove the corruption from 1d4 points of essence of the affected creature’s choice each time it is cast. A creature benefiting from a radiant’s renewal vivification may choose to remove the corruption from 1 of their points of essence in place of restoring 1 point of ability damage.

If a creature gains a point of temporary corrupted essence, it otherwise functions as normal for temporary essence in addition to the penalties normally caused by corrupted essence (it is lost after its duration expires, and cannot be recovered if burned).

## **Binding Veils**

Increasing your level in a veilweaving class grants you the ability to bind your veils. As you gain levels, you gain the ability to bind specific veils to your chakra slots. You can only bind a veil that can be shaped into that slot to that chakra. For example, if you have the ability to bind Feet slot veils, you can only bind a veil shaped in your Feet slot. Binding veils is usually done automatically as part of shaping the veil if you have the ability to do so, but if class feature or ability lets you reshape your veils during the day, such as the vizier’s veilshifting ability, you may need to spend time binding the newly shaped veil. This usually takes an hour, but may take less time depending on your class features or abilities.

You can also gain the ability to bind veils using feats. The Access Low Chakra Slot, Access Middle Chakra Slot, and Access Higher Chakra Slot feats allow a non-veilweaving character, or a multi-classed veilweaver to access binds.

## **Additional Veilweaving Mechanics and Terms**

**Veilweaving Level**: Your veilweaving level is equal to your combined level in veilweaving classes. There is one exception: some abilities and features may grant you veils that use your character level as your veilweaving level for that veil. In that case, only those veils use your character level, not all veils you can shape.

**Veilweaving Modifier**: Your veilweaving modifier is determined by the source of your veils, usually your veilweaving class. If you have multiple veilweaving modifiers, you use your highest. For example, if you took levels in both vizier and guru, you would use the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom as your veilweaving modifier.

**Veils and Attacks of Opportunity**: Veils are supernatural effects and do not provoke attacks of opportunity unless they specify otherwise. However, if a veil allows you to move, that movement still provokes attacks of opportunity. If you use a ranged attack granted by a veil, that ranged attack provokes attacks of opportunity if used in melee range of a hostile foe. If a veil grants you a spell-like ability, it provokes attacks of opportunity as normal for the spell.

**Ongoing Effects and Essence**: If a veil creates an effect with a duration, that effect uses the number of points of essence invested in the veil at the time of its creation when determining its effects each round. If a veil has a continuous effect, such as an aura, a summoned companion, or a granted weapon or natural weapon, the effect changes every time you invest or reinvest essence to or from the veil unless the veil specifies otherwise.

**Identifying Veils and Veil Effects**: You can use Knowledge (arcana) to identify veils you see, or to identify the effects of a veil. The DC of these Knowledge (arcana) checks are presented on Table: Identifying Veils and Veil Effects. In areas where akashic magic is uncommon or otherwise unheard of, increase the DC of these checks by 5. Veilweavers can also disguise the presence or function of their veils using the Disguise skill, disguising their veils as extravagant clothing or even natural extensions of their own body. A creature cannot attempt to identify a disguised veil without first succeeding on a Perception check to notice that it is a veil, though detect magic, true seeing, or similar effects automatically reveal the veil’s presence to the user of those effects.

Table 4: Identifying Veils and Veil Effects
 Identify a specific veil’s basic properties
 Identify a specific veil’s bind effects

**Veil Visibility**: Veils are nearly invisible until invested with at least one point of essence. When not invested with essence, the veilweaver gains a +5 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks to hide the fact that they have an uninvested veil shaped.

**Spell Resistance**: Spell resistance is effective against veils that directly target a creature or emulate an enchantment effect, but unless the veil specifies otherwise spell resistance is not applied against veils that affect an area, or those that produce an aura. Veils that grant weapons or natural attacks are not affected by spell resistance. When rolling a check to bypass a creatures spell resistance using your veils, you roll 1d20 + your veilweaving level with that veil. Your veils always overcome your own spell resistance, if you have any.

**Essence Burn**: Some abilities and veils may cause you to take essence burn. Essence that has been burned is univested and cannot be used or invested again for any other purpose until you have had a chance to rest. Essence burn naturally recovers at a rate of 1 point of essence per minute while you are resting.

**Temporary Essence**: Some abilities may grant you temporary essence. Temporary essence points are always burned first, and cannot be recovered through normal rest, though they generally act and can be used in all other ways just like normal essence. Temporary essence usually has a set duration, after which it is automatically uninvested and lost.

**Per Day Abilities**: Some veils grant abilities that can be used a limited number of times per day. These abilities use the same saving throw DC as the veil that granted them, unless the veil specifies otherwise. These uses are only refreshed when you rest and reshape your veils for the day (even if you don’t reshape the veil that granted them); abilities like the vizier’s veilshifting do not allow you to reshape the veil and replace it with a new instance of itself for additional uses.

**Unconsciousness and Veils**: Shaped veils do not require any conscious effort on your part to maintain, and are not lost if you lose consciousness. Any effects of a veil that occur automatically without requiring actions on your part, or are entirely passive, are not affected by whether you are conscious or not. Abilities that require you to spend actions to use (even free actions) and auras granted by your veils are suppressed until you regain consciousness. Auras remain suppressed until you spend a move action to reactivate them.

**Sundering Veils**: Veils can be sundered as if they are an object worn by their shaper. This follows all the normal rules for sundering. Veils have a hardness equal to their shaper’s veilweaving level. If a veil takes damage equal to 2 x their shaper’s veilweaving level in a single hit, they are suppressed and lose all function for 1d4 rounds. Effectively, unless you have a way to ignore a veil’s hardness, you need to be able to deal three times their veilweaver level to successfully sunder a veil. Any damage less than that is completely ineffective. Veils that are sundered while the veilweaver is unconscious are not just suppressed, but destroyed completely and cannot be used again until the veilweaver reshapes their veils.

**Suppressed Veils:** Veils can be suppressed through a number of means, most commonly by being sundered or by the veilweaver choosing to voluntarily suppress their veil. A suppressed veil provides no benefits to the veilweaver and its abilities cannot be used. The veilweaver can still invest or remove essence from their suppressed veils. Any continuous abilities provided by a veil end when it is suppressed (such as a skill bonus granted by the veil or auras produced by the veil), but any effects with a duration produced by the veil continue while it is suppressed. A suppressed veil cannot otherwise be detected, seen, identified or interacted with. The duration of a veil’s suppression is normally determined by the effect that suppressed it; veils that have been suppressed cannot normally be returned to their unsuppressed state before this duration expires. After the suppression’s duration expires, the veil automatically returns to its normal unsuppressed state.

**Voluntarily Suppressing Veils:** The veilweaver may willingly suppress the active effects of any veil they have shaped as a free action and resume them as a move action; the veilweaver may resume the effects of multiple veils as part of the same move action. If the veilweaver has their veils suppressed through an effect that has a duration, when that duration expires they can choose to willingly suppress their veil rather than have it return to its normal unsuppressed state.

**Dispelling Veils**: Veils can also be targeted by dispel magic, mage’s disjunction, or similar effects that dispel magical effects. They are treated as a magic item for these effects, normally only being temporarily suppressed for the duration of the effect. A veil successfully affected by a mage’s disjunction is suppressed for the duration of the spell and any essence invested in a suppressed veil becomes unavailable until the effect ends.

**Binding Essence**: If an ability requires you to bind essence, that essence cannot be uninvested from it until 24 hours have passed, the next time you shape your veils for the day, or if the veil you have bound essence to is unshaped. Essence that is bound to an essence receptacle still counts as invested for that receptacle’s effects. If a veil that has essence bound to it is sundered, unshaped, or dispelled, that essence is burned. Once the burn has recovered, you can reinvest the essence normally.

**Companions Granted by Veils**: Some veils grant you the ability to summon creatures. These creatures are always able to understand the veilweaver’s commands, and always follow their instructions to the best of their ability. These creatures don’t count as summoned creatures for most effects, but if the veil that created them is suppressed or unshaped, the creature is immediately dismissed. It can be resummoned when the veil is no longer suppressed using the normal action to summon it (if no action is listed, it takes a move action).

**Temporary Hit Points and Additional Hit Dice**: Temporary hit points and additional HD granted by veils or other akashic effects start at full when essence is first invested and regenerate at a rate of 1 hit point per minute, but cannot be restored by removing and re-adding essence to the veil. Essence invested in a veil or other akashic receptacle that grants up to a certain amount of temporary hit points or bonus Hit Dice after the first time you invest essence for the day instead starts at 1 hit point and regenerates up to its normal maximum amount.

**Veils and Visual Manifestations:** Unless otherwise specified by the veil, using the effects of a veil comes with a visual manifestation of its power much like casting a spell. When you use such an ability, creatures that can see you immediately know you are the source of the ability. If you are hiding using Stealth, using an ability of a veil that affects a creature other than yourself reveals you unless otherwise specified by the veil.

**Armor Veils and Shapeshifting:** For the purposes of using armor and shield veils while in a skin form, the Huay and other shapeshifting classes follow the normal rules for the polymorph subschool. An armor veil’s shape is locked in when it is first shaped for the day. Armor and shields meld with your form unless you are taking a form that is similar to the form you were in when you were shaping it. For most humanoid veilweavers, this includes many outsiders, undead, monstrous humanoids, and fey (though there are exceptions). Using a skin form before shaping your veils for the day would allow you to use an armor veil in that form. For example you could shift into a dragon and shape Treantplate, allowing you to wear Treantplate in draconic form, but not humanoid form.

You may, of course, enchant your veils with the *wild* special ability in order to use your armor and shields while shifted. Regardless of whether your veil is melded with you, you still gain any effects of it that are not related to the armor bonus, such as the Treantplate’s healing, or the Runic Breastplate’s spell resistance.

These rules do not apply to [enhanced (armor)] veils that do not create actual armor, such as Superior Reflexes, Tattered Cloths, and Unyielding. Those veils are not armor at all, but merely defensive veils that grant an AC bonus (Superior Reflexes, for example, is clearly based on a Monk’s AC bonus class feature).

Similarly, these rules do not apply to [fleshwarp] veils that function similarly to armor (such as Chitinplate or Consuming Scales), or indeed, [fleshwarp] veils in general. This is because [fleshwarp] veils always remain active, even when under a polymorph effect. Veils that grant a natural armor bonus do not stack with the natural armor granted by polymorph effects, as normal.

## **Storm Veils**

Storm veils share a number of properties that differ from normal veils:

**Area:** The area of a Storm veil is a cylinder-shaped spread that is centered on and moves with the veilweaver, with a radius equal to 25 feet + 5 feet per two veilweaver levels, and a height of 50 feet + 5 feet per veilweaver level. This cylinder also continues below the veilweaver to a maximum depth equal to its height. As a spread, the effects of a Storm veil extends around corners and into areas that you can't see. Figure distance by actual distance traveled by the effect, taking into account turns the Storm veil’s area takes. When determining distance for spread effects, count around walls, not through them. As with movement, do not trace diagonals across corners.

**Obvious Effects:** The visible effects of a Storm veil are particularly hard to miss, even at a great distance. While a Storm veil is invested with at least 1 point of essence, any creature with line of sight to any part of the veil’s area does not suffer the normal DC increases to their Perception checks due to distance from the veil to notice it. This does not necessarily allow the creature to notice the shaper of the veil.

**Ongoing:** The passive effects of a Storm veil are considered an ongoing effect, not an aura. The effects of a Storm veil continue while the shaper of the veil is unconscious.

**Sunder Immunity:** Unlike normal veils, a Storm veil cannot be sundered or dealt damage, however it can still be suppressed by *dispel magic* or an *antimagic field*.

**Unforgiving:** The shaper of a Storm veil is not immune to any effects that a Storm veil creates that affect all creatures unless they have a class feature or ability that grants them such an ability.

## **Weapon-like Veils**

Editor's Note: Weapon-like vs [Enhanced] veils

Weapon-like veils are veils that can be wielded and used as a weapon, such as the Loyal Paladin’s Spear of Light or the Sword of Justice. These veils use the same damage dice and critical statistics as any weapon they are described as acting as. Veilweavers are always proficient with any weapon-like veil they shape. Veils that grant selectable weapon enhancements, such as the Reaper’s Scythe, may choose which weapon enhancements to use each time essence is invested. If a weapon-like veil is disarmed or otherwise removed or released from your grasp, it immediately dissipates and can be reformed as a free action on your next turn; this supersedes the limitations on previously published weapon-like veils, such as Loyal Paladin’s Spear of Light, which states that it requires a swift action to recover.

When used as a thrown weapon a veil weapon does not dissipate for leaving your grasp and returns to you after the attack is resolved; if you no longer have a free hand after resolving an attack in this manner, it dissipates as normal.

**FAQ: Veilweaver Level In Place Of BAB?**

# **New Subtypes**

## **Akashic Subtype**

Creatures with the akashic subtype are all or partially composed of pure akashic energy and have the following shared traits.

* Essence Pool equal to racial hit die.
* Immunity to sleep effects.
* Low-light vision.
* Unless otherwise noted, akashic creatures always use Charisma as their primary veilweaving modifier. Akashic creatures with class levels use the primary veilweaving modifier of their class.

## **Daeva Subtype**

Daeva are a unique type of native outsider that rely on powerful emotions to maintain their physical forms and have the following shared traits

* Daevic creatures shape veils out of their own physical body, and automatically bind any veil they are capable of shaping.
* All daeva speak Common and one other language associated with their general habitat or demeanor, and gain additional languages based on their Intelligence.
* **Emotion-Dependent:** All daeva require exposure to a certain type of emotion to draw power from. When unable to feed on this emotion, they suffer Constitution drain as described in their entry. Daeva reduced to their Constitution score in negative hit points or whose Constitution is reduced to 0 do not die, but instead become formless spirits incapable of interacting with the physical world except through symbiotic bonds with mortals. Formless daeva can communicate telepathically with any creature within 60 feet who shares a language with it.
* **Hardened Form:** Daeva in physical form gain a natural armor bonus equal to their racial hit dice.
* **Natural Veilweaver:** Creatures with the daeva subtype gain the ability to shape a number of veils equal to 1/2 their racial Hit Dice, and may choose veils for any slot, including Ring and Blood. Since their veils are part of their physical form, they choose where to shape and bind them (subject to the normal restrictions on where each veil may be shaped and/or bound) any time they have an hour of uninterrupted focus and do not require a rest between instances of reshaping veils. Unlike a normal veilweaver, daeva’s veils are part of their physical form, and once selected, cannot be replaced, except to be shaped in a different eligible slot.
* **Symbiotic:** Daeva are capable of entering a state where their powers and consciousness lie dormant and they feed on a mortal’s emotions in exchange for granting that mortal power. The most common example of this is the daevic class, though certain daeva may be able to form different types of bonds as described in their entry. While bonded with another creature, daeva lose the emotion-dependent weakness.

# **Descriptors**

Veils use many of the same descriptors as spells. Whenever a veil contains a descriptor, it carries all the same connotations as the spell descriptor of the same name. Since veils do not have schools, subschools, domains, or disciplines, these descriptors are the primary way to categorize and identify a veil and its effects.

## **Brand Veils**

A veil with the [brand] descriptor is placed by its veilweaver on a creature. When a veilweaver shapes a veil with the [brand] descriptor, it does not appear on their body, no matter how much essence they invest. It is instead stored, inert, until the veilweaver brands an enemy within Close range as a standard action. It then materializes on the branded creature. A brand occupies a slot on its veilweaver as normal, even if it has been used to brand an enemy, and are bound to chakra slots as normal. A veilweaver can attempt to place a brand they have already placed onto a new creature, but doing so removes it from the first. Additionally, they can choose to remove one or more of their brands from any creatures affected by them any time they reallocate their essence.

[Brand] veils are normally placed on a creature within Close range (25 feet plus 5 feet per two veilweaver levels) as a standard action, though some [brand] veils may have special ways to apply them, and some feats or class abilities may alter the way they are applied as well. Most veils have saving throws to avoid being branded (specified in the veil’s description), and spell resistance applies to thwart a brand’s application. A creature may have any number of brands applied to them at a time, and they do not occupy slots on the branded creature. A single creature cannot be branded by a specific veil more than once, even if that specific brand is applied by multiple veilweavers. Once a creature has been branded, the brand remains as long as the creature is within Close range of the veilweaver, unless otherwise specified by the veil. If the branded creature leaves that range, the brand persists until the end of the veilweaver’s next turn, at which time the veil and its effects become suppressed until the veilweaver is once again within Close range of the creature. Even if the effects are suppressed, the veilweaver can still interact with the veil, such as by investing essence in or out of it or unshaping it.

Once a brand has been applied to a creature they can be identified and sundered as normal for veils. A creature who is affected by a brand knows they can sunder it to end the effects. When sundering a brand, it is considered to be shaped on the creature affected by it, but it uses the CMD of the veilweaver who shaped it. [Brand] veils can only be sundered while they are branding a creature. Attempting to sunder a brand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Sundering or suppressing a brand removes it from the branded creature (except when suppressed by the branded creature leaving the brand's range). If the veilweaver falls unconscious, the effects of their placed brands are suppressed. Destroying or killing the veilweaver removes the effects of their brands from all affected creatures.

## **Fleshwarp Veils**

Rather than manifesting as constructs of magical energy, fleshwarp veils physically alter the body of the veilweaver who shapes them. Fleshwarp veils are extraordinary effects after being shaped, rather than supernatural. They are not subject to spell resistance, and cannot be dispelled or suppressed by effects that suppress magic. Fleshwarp veils can be used while polymorphed, modifying the flesh of any forms the veilweaver might take. When not invested with essence they almost-seamlessly merge with your body, rather than being nearly invisible, allowing them to be disguised as easily as a normal veil. Fleshwarp veils otherwise function using all the same properties as a normal veil.

## **Seastorm Veils**

The Seastorm descriptor signifies a special kind of Storm veil. They follow all of the normal Storm veil rules except for the following: The veil only functions underwater. If the veilweaver is above water, its effects begin at the surface and continue down until it would normally end, based on veilweaver level. Likewise, if the veilweaver is below water, its effects end at the surface. Seastorm veils affect creatures and objects floating on the surface of the water (but not creatures supporting themselves on the surface by water walking or similar abilities).

If a veil does not have the Seastorm descriptor and does not say it only functions above water, then its effects spread both below the waves and up into the sky.

### **A Ship is an Object, Right?**

Some Seastom veils can cause creatures and objects to sink. Ships and other water vessels are unique in that they are generally very buoyant objects designed not to sink. A ship which is Large or larger is entitled to three saves against the sinking effects of such a veil. Each failed save progresses it one step closer to sinking so long as it remains within the area (note that a ship’s saving throw is equal to the base save of the ship plus the pilot’s Profession (sailor) modifier). The first failed save halves the speed of the ship. The second stops it completely. The third causes it to sink. A successful save moves the ship one step backwards on that progression, though once the ship has sunk, it cannot return to the surface without magic or some other form of intervention. For every size category of objects that you can affect larger than the ship, it is entitled to one less save before sinking. Investing essence beyond the point when you could affect a Colossal object also reduces the number of saves as though you had gone up another size category. Objects such as submarines may be affected differently, subject to DM interpretation.

When a Seastorm veil that can affect objects is shaped, you may designate a ship or other water vessel as being protected by your weatherproofing ability. It and all creatures onboard are protected from the effects of your veil.

## **Shatter Veils**

**V**eils with the shatter descriptor can be shattered for an additional or improved effect. When shattered, a veil is normally suppressed for 10 minutes unless otherwise specified by the veil or one of your abilities. You can choose to keep your veils shattered for longer than 10 minutes, if you wish. After this 10 minutes has passed, you can unsuppress a shattered veil as part of investing your essence. If one of these veils grants a benefit while it is shattered, or if shattering the veil produces an ongoing effect, those effects or benefits end when the veil is unsuppressed.

Unless otherwise specified by the veil, shattering a veil burns the essence invested in it to provide an additional effect. This essence cannot be recovered while the veil is suppressed, and is automatically recovered when the veil is unsuppressed.

If a veil with the [shatter] descriptor has an effect that triggers on being shattered, such as if it contains the text “When this veil is shattered” or “While this veil is shattered”, that effect triggers if it is shattered from any source, not just from the effects of a veil. For example; if a spellweaver shatters a veil to cast a spell, a veil with the above text would have its shatter effect triggered.

If a veil has an ability that shatters it as part of activating it, that effect only activates when the appropriate action is spent or trigger is met, rather than if it is shattered from any source. If shattering a veil has an effect that requires a saving throw, the DC of that saving throw is 10 + your veilweaving modifier + the number of points of essence burned as part of shattering the veil (unless specified otherwise by the veil).

## **Steady Veils**

Veils with the Steady descriptor have the save DC of their abilities function differently than normal veils. Rather than being 10 + the amount of essence invested in the veil + the veilweaver’s veilweaving modifier, the veil’s DC is 10 + 1/2 your veilweaving level + your veilweaving modifier. If the veil states that it gains a bonus to the veil’s DC via any essence invested in it, it gains those effects normally.

## **Paired Veils**

Certain veils in this book have the Paired descriptor. These are special veils that always have the Enhanced descriptor. These veils always produce at least 2 pieces of enhanceables, typically a weapon and a shield or a weapon and unarmed. A paired veil imparts its total enhancement bonuses onto another piece of equipment that’s also created by the veil. If the paired ‘equipment’ is unarmed strikes, then it applies to your unarmed attacks while the veil is shaped. These ‘enhanceables’ are considered to have separate tracks, and as such, these pieces of equipment do not need to have the same enhancement bonus or weapon special qualities. The veil will list how the veil can be enhanced (Such as only capable of being enhanced as a weapon), while the paired equipment will be listed in the descriptor (such Paired (heavy steel shield (shield))) Objects like Shields that can be either weapons will have their enhanceable path listed in parenthesis, similar to the above example. You do not need to spend the enhancement bonuses in the same way (You could have a *+1 flaming* sword and a +2 shield), and each time you increase the enhancement bonus of your veil, you may rearrange the paired option using the sum total of enhancement bonuses. As per normal equipment, your paired equipment may not have more than a +5 enhancement bonus (but may still have special qualities added on as normal). Material upgrades and other non-special quality flat costs can be applied to the paired item normally.

For example, a veil that creates a sword and shield creates 2 weapons (The sword itself and the shield as a shield bash). These weapons follow the normal enhancement rules, to include having their enhancement bonus being 1 lower for having made multiple weapons. This veil also creates a shield, which can be enhanced normally, but as a shield rather than a weapon. Thus, in order to have a +2 weapon and a +2 shield, a player would have to spend 8,000 gp on the weapon and 4,000 gp on the shield.

However, the paired descriptor allows a player to only upgrade the weapon (such as spending 8,000 gp for a +1 fiery on the weapon), but gaining the equivalent bonus to the paired equipment (for a total of +2 for the shield, to be split between shield special qualities or enhancement bonuses as they please). If the paired weapon creates multiple copies (such as a veil that has a longsword paired with many throwing daggers), the total enhancement bonus of the weapon is reduced by 1 (minimum 0), similarly to the Enhanced keyword.

## **Title Veils**

A Title is a unique type of akashic veil shaped mostly by rajahs. Unlike other veils, a Title is shaped onto one of the veilweaver’s allies (known as the entitled), and cannot be shaped onto the veilweaver themselves. Titles do not occupy veil slots (neither shaping nor binding), and there is no limit to the amount of Titles a creature can have shaped or bound onto them. Even though the veilweaver shaped it, a Title’s effects are considered to originate from the entitled. A creature can only receive Titles from one veilweaver at once; if they already have a Title shaped onto them, different veilweavers cannot shape their own Titles onto them. Unlike other veils, a veilweaver can shape as many of a given Title as they wish, though they may not shape the same Title onto a creature multiple times, nor may they shape a veil that shares the same name onto a creature who already has that veil shaped.

A Title’s effect is only applied to the entitled while the veilweaver who created it is within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two veilweaver levels). If an entitled creature leaves that range, the title persists until the end of the veilweaver’s turn, at which it becomes suppressed. Even if the effects are suppressed, the veilweaver can still interact with the veil, such as by investing essence in or out of it or unshaping it, but any class features, feats, and so on that require the veil to be shaped (such as the Rajah’s Vassalage class feature) cannot function with the veil so long as its suppressed. While a creature is entitled, the veilweaver can pinpoint the location of that creature, as long as the title is not suppressed. If it is, the veilweaver can only gain vague information about the entitled creature’s location, as long as they are on the same plane. Titles can be identified and sundered as normal for veils, using the CMD of the entitled rather than that of the veilweaver. If the veilweaver falls unconscious, the title effects are suppressed. Destroying or killing the veilweaver removes their titles from allies, while destroying or killing an entitled ally removes the title from them.

### **Shared Veils and Titles**

Titles can be shared using the Shared Veil feat and other abilities, just like normal veils. When a Title is shared by a veilweaver, they entitle the creature they shared it with, granting them the Title’s benefits as if they had shaped it onto them. This does not interfere with the Title’s normal function or the creature
it is already shaped onto. For example, if a yaksa caller summoner’s eidolon (see Chapter 2 of *Akashic Mysteries*) gains the ability to shape a Title with the Shape Veil feat, the eidolon would entitle another creature as normal, and the yaksa caller could then use their share veil class feature to gain that Title’s benefis as well. Likewise, a buraq animal companion could both entitle a creature and share the effects of a Title with its master.

### **Hey, What’s This About Slots?**

Though Titles do not occupy veil slots, there is still a slot listed in each Title’s description. Rajahs can always bind their Titles to gain their chakra effect so long as they have the empowered titles class feature, but any other character who gains access to Titles must be able to bind veils to the Title’s associated slot in order to bind it for the chakra’s effect. As they do not occupy veil slots, title veils are not affected by Akashic catalysts.

### **Early Morning Routines**

Preparing Title veils for the day functions exactly like preparing normal veils (which requires a good night’s rest followed by 1 hour of preparation). After this hour is finished, the Title veils are prepared to go, and the veilweaver may collect their allies to entitle them, only requiring line of sight and a free action to designate them as the entitled for the veil(s). The veilweaver may hold onto these title veils for as long as they wish, or until they shape their veils again. Thus, if the veilweaver is enjoying their stay at an inn, and the party’s bard is in a jail cell for the night, the veilweaver may prepare the title for the bard in the comfort of the inn, then give it to the bard once they collect him from the local law enforcement.

## **Undetectable Veils**

Certain veils in this book have the Undetectable descriptor. Those with these descriptors natively do not have any visual indication that they are shaped, even with essence invested in them, and as such, cannot be detected except by supernatural means, such as by spells or powers.

Even then, these veils resist being detected. A spellcaster or manifester detecting veils on the veilweaver must make a roll of their spellcaster level or manifester level plus their spellcasting or manifesting modifier versus a DC of 15 + the veilweaver’s veilweaving level + the veilweaver’s veilweaving modifier. If they fail to beat the veilweaver’s roll, they do not notice the veil.

Naturally, this only applies to veils that have the Undetectable descriptor. Other veils that the veilweaver has shaped are noticed normally.

Veils that gain the Undetectable descriptor have their form appear entirely mundane; or if that’s impossible, then of a generic, supernatural origin. Magic or other supernatural abilities are needed to determine their akashic nature, using the same rules as above.

## Variant Veils

Veils with the variant descriptor have similar effects to an existing veil, as noted in their description. These veils cannot be shaped at the same time as the veil they are a variant of.

## **Voice Veils**

Voice veils represent a new type of veil available to the fisherking and other classes. Unlike many other types of veils, which are shaped to physical parts of a veilweaver, these veils are shaped to the veilweaver’s voice and embody many aspects of commands, tone, and speechcraft. Voice veils have the following unique components:

**Vocal:** A veilweaver must be capable of speaking to activate the effects of a Voice veil or to reactivate a Voice veil if it is suppressed. If a voice veil grants a spell-like ability, that ability is treated as having a verbal component even if the spell it’s based on would not normally have one.

**Kingdom Effects:** If you are using the kingdom building rules, Voice veils grant an additional effect when shaped. This effect is listed in a veil’s entry as “**Kingdom Effect**”. The veilweaver must have a leadership position in a kingdom (as outlined in the kingdom building system) to gain or grant the benefits of this effect.

Advice: Kingdom Building System and Veils

Normally, veils can be changed each day, or more frequently with certain abilities. While making use of the kingdom building system, the changing of veils should be limited to being done only once per turn at the start of the upkeep phase. Any veils with effects that must be activated, such as Eye of the Oracle, should only be allowed to be used once per turn.

## **Enhanced Veils**

A veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor is a veil that functions as a wearable or wieldable item and can be enhanced as if it were a masterwork version of that item.

**Type:** A veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor can be enhanced using the Craft Arms and Armor feat as if it were a masterwork suit of armor, shield, or weapon and acts as a specific type of armor, shield, or weapon for all purposes (such as feats that only affect a single weapon such as Weapon Focus, or class features that require a specific weapon or armor) as denoted in its descriptor. These items are also treated as magical for effects that apply to or are affected by magical items. For example, a veil with the [Enhanced (scythe)] descriptor can be enhanced as if it were a scythe and is treated as a scythe for all purposes; the same applies to a veil with the [Enhanced (breastplate)] descriptor. It is treated as a breastplate for all purposes, and can be enhanced as if it were a masterwork breastplate. If an [Enhanced] veil specifies a broad type instead of a specific item, such as [Enhanced: Armor], that veil is not treated as any specific type of armor, shield, or weapon and its statistics will usually be found in the veil’s description.

**Proficiency:** A veilweaver is always proficient with the armor, shield, or weapon that is created as part of a veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor. If such a veil creates multiple different suits of armor, shields or weapons but only one type is referenced in the descriptor, such as an [Enhanced (longsword)] veil that also creates a shield, the veilweaver is proficient with any additionally created suits of armor, shields, or weapons as well. If this veil is shaped onto another creature by the veilweaver, that creature is treated as proficient instead. If the veil is affected by multiple proficiencies (such as a bastard sword or a scorpion whip), the veilweaver is treated in being proficient in all applicable proficiencies. The veilweaver is only treated as being proficient with the armor, shield, or weapon that is created as part of this veil in this way, not with any other item of the same type.

**Upgradable:** A veilweaver may enhance this veil as if it were a masterwork item of its type, following the same rules as enhancing normal items. This can be done using the Craft Arms and Armor feat for armor, shields, and weapons, or by using class features, feats or spells that temporarily or permanently enhance such an item. When a veil is enhanced using Craft Arms and Armor or similar abilities, the veil must be shaped and the veilweaver must be present during the entire enhancement period, but the veil need not be shaped when it is not being actively enhanced.

You may also improve armor, shields, and weapons with special materials by paying the price modifier of that material, treat armor as costing 500 gp, and treat shields and weapons as costing 100 gp when calculating price modifiers. Enhancing a veil takes the same amount of time to enhance the item as normal. If an [Enhanced] veil creates multiple different types of items, such as an [Enhanced (longsword)] veil that also creates a shield, only the items created of the type referenced in the [Enhanced] descriptor gain any benefits upon being enhanced unless specified otherwise by the veil. If a veil denotes multiple types for its [Enhanced] descriptor or has multiple [Enhanced] descriptors, refer to the veil’s description for how it is specifically enhanced. Some [Enhanced] veils may refer to their Enhancement within their description. When referred to in this way, a veil’s Enhancement is equal to the veil’s modified bonus: its enhancement bonus plus its special abilities. For example, a veil enhanced with +2, flaming, and holy would have an Enhancement of 5 (2 for +2, 1 for flaming, 2 for holy). Special materials and enhancement bonuses do not affect the hardness of an enhanced veil.

**Size:** A veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor produces a suit of armor, shield, or weapon sized appropriately for the veilweaver who shaped it, or the creature the veil has been shaped on in the case of a shared veil. If the creature can wield weapons sized for creatures larger than it, the veil can produce weapons of that size as well.

**Sundering:** Armor, shields, and weapons produced by an [Enhanced] veil are treated as being part of that veil for the purposes of sundering, and follow all of the normal rules for sundering a veil.

**Polymorph Interactions:** If a veilweaver is affected by a polymorph effect that would cause their equipment to merge with their body, any equipment created by an [Enhanced] veil is merged as well, and the veilweaver cannot resummon that equipment or use it until the polymorph effect ends.

**Armor:** Veils with the [Enhanced (armor)] descriptor that create a suit of armor do so immediately when the veilweaver shapes the veil, unless the veil states otherwise. Armor created by an [Enhanced] veil applies its normal penalties to the veilweaver or character it is shaped to, such as a penalty to movement speed for medium or heavy armor, maximum Dexterity bonus, arcane spell failure chance, and the like. Unless otherwise specified, armor created by an [Enhanced] veil has all of the statistics of a normal suit of masterwork armor of the created type. Removing armor produced by an [Enhanced] veil requires the same amount of time as removing normal armor of its type, and when it is removed it immediately dissipates.

Conjuring and equipping this armor anew can be done as a free action on the veilweaver’s turn. If a veilweaver shapes multiple veils with the [Enhanced (armor)] descriptor that create armor, they can change which set of armor they have conjured any time they reinvest their essence.

**Shields:** Veils with the [Enhanced (shield)] descriptor that create a shield normally create the shield in a free hand of the wielder’s choice as a free action on their turn. Shields created by a veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor cease to exist as soon as they leave the veilweaver’s possession unless otherwise specified by the veil. Such a veil can only create a single shield unless otherwise specified by the veil. Shields created by an [Enhanced] veil apply their normal penalties to the character who wields it, such as the shield’s armor check penalty and arcane spell failure chance. When enhancing a shield created by an [Enhanced] veil, the veilweaver can choose whether to enhance the shield component of the veil, to enhance the shield as a weapon to improve its shield bash, or both. Enhancing a shield in this way as both a weapon and a shield does not incur an increase in cost, but does require the shield enhancements and weapon enhancements to be performed separately. If such a veil refers to its Enhancement, use the higher value of the two separate Enhancements. Of note, many [Enhanced] veils that produce a shield allow one form of Enhancement (shield or weapon) to modify or alter the other form of Enhancement. When being used as a weapon, such a shield follows all of the normal rules of a weapon created by a [Enhanced] veil as well (see below).

**Weapons:** Veils with the [Enhanced (weapon)] descriptor that create a weapon normally create the weapon in a free hand of the wielder’s choice as a free action on their turn. Weapons created by a veil with the [Enhanced] descriptor cease to exist as soon as they leave the veilweaver’s possession unless otherwise specified by the veil. Such a veil can only create a single weapon unless otherwise specified by the veil. If a veil can create multiple weapons, treat all weapons it creates after the first as if they had an enhancement bonus 1 lower (minimum 0). If the weapon is enhanced with special abilities, the veilweaver may choose to lose a special ability with an effective bonus of at least +1 instead. If this reduction would reduce the weapons bonus to +0, it is treated as a masterwork weapon, gaining the usual +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls, but not to damage rolls. This may allow a weapon to have a +0 enhancement bonus but still possess weapon special abilities.

## **[Armor] and [Weapon] Descriptors**

Editor's Note: Outdated Rules

A veil with either the armor or weapon descriptors has some part of the veil that creates or functions as a suit of armor or as a weapon. These akashic armor and weapons have a number of unique properties that differ from their metal kin, which are detailed out below.

**Hardness & Sundering:** Armor and weapons produced by the veil use the veilweaver’s veilweaving level for their hardness and have twice the veilweaver’s level in hit points. These hit points refresh at the start of the veilweaver’s turn. Armor and weapons created by a veil that have no hit points are destroyed, but may be recreated by the veil as normal. If the veil is sundered, armor and weapons created by that veil disappear.

**Leaving the Veilweaver’s grip:** Weapons created by veils with the [Weapon] descriptor cease to exist at the end of any turn that they are not within the veilweaver’s possession.

**Size:** Armor and weapon created by a veil with the [Armor] or [Weapon] descriptors are always sized appropriately for the wielder. When a weapon is created by a veil with the [Weapon] descriptor, the wielder may choose to have this weapon be smaller or larger than what’s appropriate for them, so long as they can wield a weapon at that size with reduced or no penalty. If the size they can wield with reduced or no penalty is not specified, then they may choose to have the weapon be within one size step within their current size.

**Upgradable:** You may enhance these veils with class features, items, spells, effects, or item creation feats, as though they were a suit of masterwork armor or a masterwork weapon. They may be targeted (and affected) by all spells and effects that affect armor or weapons (depending on their type as appropriate). When improving such an armor or weapon, the Veilweaver must be present and have the veil shaped for the entire duration in which the armor or weapon is being worked on (typically 8 hours in a single day). You may also improve the armor or weapon with special materials by paying the price modifier of that material; treat this armor as costing 500 gp, and treat this weapon as costing 100gp when calculating price multipliers. Enhancing a veil this way takes the same amount of time to enhance the armor or weapon as normal. A veilweaver must meditate in a relatively peaceful environment during this time but otherwise does not need to make any skill checks to upgrade this veil. Its enhancement bonuses, special materials, armor or weapon special abilities, and any effects of the veil are shared across all armor or weapons created with it (including limited use abilities). Armor and weapons cannot gain properties that they could not normally gain, such as impact on a ranged weapon, keen on a bludgeoning weapon, or brawling on medium or heavy armor. If the veil provides its own armor or weapon enhancement bonuses and armor or weapon special properties, the enhancement bonuses and special qualities do not stack. When they shape the veil, and whenever they reallocate essence, they may choose whether they use the veil’s intrinsic bonus and special qualities or the armor or weapon descriptors bonus and special qualities. They may change this choice as a swift action, or whenever they would invest essence into their receptacles.

**Multiple Weapons:** If the veil can produce multiple weapons simultaneously, treat each weapon’s enhancement bonus after the first as 1 lower (minimum 0), provided the veil has at least a +1 bonus. A weapon with an enhancement bonus of +0 is treated as a masterwork weapon, gaining the usual +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls, but not to damage rolls.

**Worn Armor and Armor Veils:** A character who is wearing armor cannot shape a veil with the [armor] descriptor, nor can they have such a veil shaped on them by another veilweaver. While a character has an [armor] veil shaped they are considered to be wearing the armor of its specified weight for all purposes.

**Proficiency:** A veilweaver is always proficient in the armor or weapon they create with a [armor] or [weapon] veil. This does not grant them proficiency with those armor or weapons for other purposes.