First of all, I'm using a spell based system. All magic users have a number of spell points, either arcane (ASP) or divine (DSP). Spells costs a number equal to their spell level +1 (0-level cost 1, 9th-level cost 10).
Preservers have more spell points per level than defilers do. Defilers make up for this with greater freedom in defiling.
Preservers are mostly like wizards. They get a bonus feat every 5 levels, scribe scroll at 1st-level. Instead of a familiar, they receive Path Dexter, detailed below.
Defilers are also mostly like wizards. However they do not get a bonus feat every five levels. They do get scribe scroll at 1st level. Instead of a familiar, they get Path Sinister, described below.
If it comes across as messy, sorry for my being lazy and incompetent to display tables properly here. It's mostly a mix of my own ideas, the athas.org stuff, and the dragon magazine stuff. I want to incorporate the effects of being within a defiling radius a la athas.org but have yet to decide how and where. If anyone wants the original document i came up with so far (it's not exactly finished), post an email and i'll let it loose.
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Path Dexter: Preserver spellcasting techniques focus on conserving the plant life their energy comes from for a greater accumulation of arcane power over a gradual period of time. This results in a relatively unscathed natural environment and a greater potential for arcane spell power. Even so, some preservers find the lure of easy power too strong and occasionally defile for a quick increase in arcane capability. Preservers can defile as a move action a number of times each day equal to their Intelligence modifier.
Benefits of Defiling: The benefits of defiling and their respective costs are shown on Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs. A preserver can cast spells with an XP cost or a costly material component without paying or providing that requirement, instead gaining defiler points. It is also possible to recover spell points by draining them directly from the land with a commensurate gain in defiler points.
Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs
Beneficial Effect
Defiler Points Gained
Cast a spell without paying XP cost
1 per 250 XP
Cast a spell without expensive component
1 per 500 cp value
Recover arcane spell points
2 per spell point
Effects of Defiling: As a preserver defiles, she gains defiler points according to the effects achieved, as shown on Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs. The defiler point cost of effects achieved at any one time cannot exceed half the preserver's Intelligence modifier. For every defiler point gained in this way, a number of 5-ft. square patches of ground are defiled depending on terrain vegetation, as shown on Table: Range of Defilement. The preserver has limited control over which squares are defiled in this way: they are always centered on the preserver's location, spreading out from there to the nearest available patch of undefiled land. All plant-based life in this area is instantly turned to lifeless ash, leaving behind barren earth incapable of supporting plant life for years to come.
[Table: Range of Defilement]
Effects of Defiler Points: Attempting to defile while resisting its inherent taint is taxing. For every 2 defiler points a preserver accumulates, she suffers a cumulative –1 penalty to all Wisdom- and Charisma-based skill checks. For every 5 defiler points accumulated, she suffers a cumulative –2 penalty to Constitution. The Constitution drain has no effect on undead, who suffer the skill check penalties normally. These penalties disappear should the number of defiler points accumulated decrease, either through meditation or by assuming the taint. Living creatures who die due to Constitution loss from accumulated defiler points reanimate within a day as an undead t'liz, losing all accumulated defiler points in the process.
Resisting Temptation: Whenever a preserver defiles, she must make a Will save (DC 10 + number of accumulated defiler points beyond 10). Failure results in immediately assuming the taint and becoming a defiler, as detailed below.
Assuming the Taint: A preserver can choose to assume the taint as a full-round action, immediately reducing the number of accumulated defiler points to zero. The character is now a defiler with a defiler score equal to their character level. All preserver levels are immediately converted to defiler levels on a one-to-one ratio: reduce arcane spell points as appropriate.
Meditation: As an alternative to assuming the taint, a preserver can surround herself in a natural environment and meditate. Defiler points are gradually reduced, absorbed into the surrounding environment at the rate shown on Table: Meditating to Reduce Defiler Points. If a druid assists the preserver, the rates are doubled. Few druids would be willing to help in such a manner, however. Most druids would simply prefer to kill those who would defile.
Table: Meditating to Reduce Defiler Points
Terrain Vegetation
Required Meditating Time
Abundant (forests, gardens, swamps, oceans)
2 hours per defiler point
Fertile (active farmlands, grasslands, mud flats, oases)
4 hours per defiler point
Infertile (cities, inactive farmlands, scrub plains)
8 hours per defiler point
Barren (bare mountains, boulder flats, rocky badlands, stony barrens)
1 day per defiler point
Desolate (salt flats, sandy wastes, silt basins)
1 week per defiler point
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Path Sinister: Defiler spellcasting techniques focus on absorbing every bit of energy available from the plant life they tap for impressive displays of power over a short period of time. This results in barren swaths of land and a lower long-term potential for arcane spell power. Whenever a defiler casts a spell she defiles the land, leaving it barren and lifeless. This passive defiling is automatic and cannot be avoided. Defilers also have the option of actively defiling for quick increases in arcane capability. They can actively defile as a free action once per round a number of times each day equal to 10 + their number of Spellcraft skill ranks + their Intelligence modifier.
Benefits of Defiling: The benefits of defiling and their respective costs are shown on Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs. A defiler can cast spells with an XP cost or a costly material component without paying or providing that requirement, instead gaining defiler points. It is also possible to recover spell points by draining them directly from the land with a commensurate gain in defiler points.
Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs
Beneficial Effect
Defiler Points Gained
Cast a spell without paying XP cost
1 per 250 XP
Cast a spell without expensive component
1 per 500 cp value
Recover arcane spell points
2 per spell point
Effects of Defiling: Actively defiling results in gaining defiler points according to the effects achieved, as shown on Table: Defiling Benefits and Costs. The defiler point cost of effects achieved at any one time cannot exceed the defiler's Intelligence modifier. For every arcane spell point the defiler spends to cast a spell, a number of 5-ft. square patches of ground are defiled depending on terrain vegetation, as shown on Table: Range of Defilement. When defiler points are gained through active defiling, add their number to the number of spell points cast to determine the area of ground defiled. The defiler has limited control over which squares are defiled in this way: they are always centered on the defiler's location, spreading out from there to the nearest available patch of undefiled land. All plant-based life in this area is instantly turned to lifeless ash, leaving behind barren earth incapable of supporting plant life for years to come.
[Table: Range of Defilement]
Effects of Defiler Points: Attempting to defile while resisting its inherent taint is taxing. For every 2 defiler points a defiler accumulates, she suffers a cumulative –1 penalty to all Wisdom- and Charisma-based skill checks. For every 5 defiler points accumulated, she suffers a cumulative –2 penalty to Constitution. The Constitution drain has no effect on undead, who suffer the skill check penalties normally. These penalties disappear should the number of defiler points accumulated decrease, either through meditation or by assuming the taint. Living creatures who die due to Constitution loss from accumulated defiler points reanimate within a day as an undead t'liz, losing all accumulated defiler points in the process.
Resisting Temptation: Whenever a defiler gains enough experience points to advance a level she must make a Will save (DC 10 + defiler spellcasting level, further modified depending on her defiler score as shown on Table: Defiler Score). Success means she gains the level normally in whatever class she desires. Failure means she must take a level in a class that advances her defiler spellcasting level.
Assuming the Taint: A defiler can choose to assume the taint as a free action, immediately reducing the number of accumulated defiler points to zero. Her defiler score is increased by a number equal to half the lost defiler points, rounded up.
Meditation: As an alternative to assuming the taint, a defiler can surround herself in a natural environment and meditate. Defiler points are gradually reduced, absorbed into the surrounding environment at the rate shown on Table: Meditating to Reduce Defiler Points. If a druid assists the preserver, the rates are doubled. Few druids would be willing to help in such a manner, however. Most druids would simply prefer to kill those who would defile.
[Table: Meditating to Reduce Defiler Points]
Defiler Score: The defiler score is a measure of how much life energy the defiler has stolen from the planet. Whenever a defiler assumes the taint and reduces her defiler points to zero, her defiler score is increased by half that amount, rounded up. Once her defiler score reaches 200 it can no longer increase further; assuming the taint at this point simply results in reducing the number of accumulated defiler points to zero with no further effect.
[Table: Defiler Score goes here]
Redemption: While difficult and rare, it is possible for a defiler to find redemption and become preservers. This process is long and difficult, many finding themselves unable begin. Fewer still find that they have the strength to follow through to completion.
The first step involves finding a druid of at least 15th level willing to help. This is the most difficult part, as most druids would sooner kill a defiler than help one. Should a defiler find a druid willing to help, the next step is to meditate in nature with that druid for a number of days equal to the defiler's defiler score. In this time the druid teaches the defiler to resist temptation and feel a connection to the land. After this time, the defiler has learned to cast spells without passively defiling.
Should the defiler give in to temptation and actively defile at any point for the remainder of the process, she immediately loses the ability to cast spells without passively defiling and alienates the druid who helped her, who will now seek her death for her betrayal.
The third step is to gain enough experience points to advance in a new level. Having done so, the defiler must return to her patron druid for a final night of meditation. At the end of this night, she must make a Will save to resist the temptation (see above). Failure results in death, as the local spirit of the land snuffs out the defiler's life-force to replenish the land. Should the character be brought back to life in some manner, she loses all class levels and becomes a 1st-level preserver with a defiler score of 0.
Success means a loss of defiler levels as shown on Table: Defiler Score. The remaining defiler levels are converted to preserver levels on a one-for-one basis. Should the number of levels lost exceed the number of levels the defiler has, she is reduced to a 1st-level preserver. Finally, her defiler score is reduced to zero.
Should the newly redeemed preserver ever assume the taint again and become a defiler of her own free will, her patron druid will seek her death through any and all means.
I will get back with you later on it!
Edit: Kal beat me to it
I'm about to go to sleep (1am here, gotta be up at 5:45am), but post an email and I'll send the .rtf document when I wake up in 5 hours.
I'm about to go to sleep (1am here, gotta be up at 5:45am), but post an email and I'll send the .rtf document when I wake up in 5 hours.
[email]nytcrawlr@gmail.com[/email]
Please send me a copy.
I can also post to the Darksun Central multiply site if you want as well. Or you can create a multiply login and do it yourself.
Please send a copy when you get the chance