Secret Art of Xolotlani
by Shawn StanleyThis is a discipline which, although not prevalent, is practised in the Azcan culture by some of the few mages that exist within it. A similar system can be discovered by any other culture that practices sacrifice of living victims, though practitioners of this craft should be kept under the purview of the DM and NPCs.
1st Circle
Gain Essence: This is the basic power of draining off the essence of a still living victim and gaining it in ones-self. The essence gained is limited to the amount of unhealed hit points that the mage has though they may temporarily, for 3 rounds, gain an excess of essence equal to their level. If this essence is not expended within 3 rounds it dissipates. The amount of essence that may be gained from the victim is limited to the number of hit points that they currently have, and a loss of essence is directly translated into a loss of hit points on their part. A roll of 01 causes the mage to transfer to the victim the number of hit points that they themselves were attempting to gain. If this power is being used on a Soul Store, see the third Circle power Soul Storage, the receptacle is broken on a roll of 01.
Heal: With this power the user may by touching a person transfer their own essence to that person, thereby healing them. An amount of hit points worth of essence equal to the level of the mage may be transferred using this power. A roll of 01 causes the essence to be expended upon the part of the mage though the intended receiver of the essence doesn't gain anything.
2nd Circle
Essence Transference: This power allows the mage to act merely as a conduit between two other people, one of whom is having essence transferred from themselves and the other to whom is receiving the essence. The amount of essence to be transferred is restricted to twice the level of the mage. A roll of 01 causes the essence taken from the first person to be lost, whilst the intended recipient gains their essence from the mage.
3rd Circle
Mass Heal: This improvement on the first circle power allows the mage to transfer essence to other a group of people equal in number to the level of the mage within an area of 50' of the mage. The mage may expend an amount of hit points equal to twice their level using this power. A roll of 01 causes the essence to be expended to no effect.
Power-up: This ability allows the mage to expend hit points to temporarily increase a physical attribute. Physical attributes that may be gained using this ability include increase of 1 point of strength, constitution, dexterity or charisma or increasing movement rate by a third. The use of this power requires the user to expend 4 hit points of essence per use for an increase of the ability for 6 rounds. The ability may also be used to increase the chance by 50% of performing some difficult physical task such as jumping over something - the use of the power also requires the expending of 4 hit points but the power only lasts for an instant. A roll of 01 causes the essence to be expended but for either a temporary, 12 rounds, decrease of 1 point of strength, constitution, dexterity or charisma or one third decrease of movement rate. A roll of 01 when the power is being used for an instant event decreases by 50% the chance of that event occurring.
Soul Storage: To use this power a mage must have a suitable receptacle, a Soul Store, for which the essence is to be stored. To make this receptacle should cost 100 gp per hit point of essence to be stored and should take 1 day per 8 hit points of essence to be stored to make. With a suitable receptacle the mage may transfer their essence into the storage receptacle using this power. Essence may be released from a container using the gain essence power. A mage may use the receptacle of other mages if those mages are silly enough to leave them lying around. A roll of 01 causes the mage to loose the amount of essence they were intending to pour into the receptacle and for that receptacle to be broken.
4th Circle
Mass Drain: This improvement of the first circle power allows the mage to transfer essence from a group of people equal in number to the level of the mage within an area of 50' of the mage. Similarly to the Gain Essence power the amount of hit points that may be gained is limited to the amount of unhealed hit points that the mage has though they may temporarily, for 6 rounds, gain an excess of essence equal to their level. If this essence is not expended within 3 rounds it dissipates. The amount of essence that may be gained from the victims is limited to the number of hit points that they currently have. A roll of 01 causes the mage to transfer to the victims the number of hit points that they themselves were attempting to gain.
5th Circle
Expend Essence: This awesome power
allows the mage to permanently increase a physical attribute as
outlined above. 8 hit points of essence need to be expended to
employ this power and these hit points can only be healed by
natural rest at the rate of 1 hit point per seven nights of
uninterrupted sleep. A roll of 01 causes the mage to permanently
loose in equal proportions whatever physical attribute they were
trying to effect, similarly the hit points expended on an
unsuccessful usage of this power are lost permanently.