ESSENCES — THE LEGATEE'S ESSENCE CATALOGUE
Salorras reference: the essence list of the legatee essencer class (and the omenar paragon, who burns essences into divine waves; the echoe and grafted agent essencer routes draw on it as well). This is the catalogue the legatee class file points to — the essencer’s equivalent of a spell list. Everything here follows standard D&D 3.5e conventions. Essences are an extraordinary Salorras subsystem, not magic.
How Essences Work
Essences grant powers that often resemble spells but are almost always passive and harmless to the user. They are extraordinary, not magical: they need no verbal, somatic, or material components; carry no risk of arcane spell failure in armor; can’t be brewed into potions, scrolls, or items; gain nothing from metamagic or item-creation feats; and are unaffected by dispel magic, antimagic field, and spell resistance. A character’s essencer level equals the class level of the essencer class (just as caster level governs spells), and it scales any level-dependent essence variable.
Producing essences is the essencer’s daily preparation: 8 hours, once per 24 hours. Each produced essence demands a production penalty — a temporary sacrifice of some ability, sense, or trait that lasts those 8 hours — and the produced essences are held in the essencer’s internal organ, the thalamus, up to its capacity. Aborting production is a free action but wastes the essences and locks out new production for 24 hours. Production penalties stack even when identical, but can never reduce a statistic to nothing.
Burning an essence takes its starting time (from a free action up to a full-round action or longer), during which the essencer concentrates; an interruption can be resisted with a Concentration check, as with spells. A starting time of one standard action or longer provokes attacks of opportunity unless noted. Essence bonuses stack (even from the same essence burned twice) unless noted; the essencer may dismiss a burning essence as an immediate action (ending it permanently). If the same essence is burned twice with overlap, the remaining durations are added together and divided by the number burned. The daily limit on essences burned depends on essencer level and Charisma.
The save DC for any essence that allows a save is 10 + ½ the essencer’s level + the essencer’s Charisma modifier.
Catalytic combustion and exponential combustion are the legatee’s two combustion techniques (defined in the legatee class file). Catalytic combustion trades part of an essence’s duration for stronger bonuses; exponential combustion violently overdrives a single essence for tremendous power at a short duration and a risky aftershock. Many entries below give an explicit exponential combustion variant.
How to Read an Essence Entry
Each entry opens with the essence’s core and subcore (and any descriptor, such as acid or mind-affecting) and its level (1st–3rd; higher is stronger). Then come the lines an essencer needs:
- Production Penalty — the sacrifice borne for the 8-hour production time.
- Starting Time — how long the burn takes.
- Range / Target / Effect / Area — omitted when the essence is personal (applied to the essencer), which is the default.
- Duration — how long the powers last; all essences are dismissible.
- Saving Throw / Spell Resistance — listed only when relevant (most essences have neither; essences are never subject to spell resistance).
Unless noted, “each additional essence” means burning another of the same essence at the same time increases the effect as stated.
The Three Essential Cores
Every essence belongs to one of three essential cores, each with five subcores of closely related essences.
- Physical — the body’s condition. Subcores: strength (might and melee), dexterity (agility), constitution (health and stamina), speed (movement), harden (toughness against blows).
- Sensorial — the five senses. Subcores: ocular (sight and the unseen), auricular (hearing), olfactory (smell), taste (the mouth), touch (feel and danger-sense).
- Vital — the stranger components of a living being. Subcores: physiology (the organs), gravity, mind, space, time.
Essence Quick Reference
1st-level essences
| Core | Essence | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Empowered Muscles | +1/use to Strength |
| Physical | Agile Tendons | +1/use to Dexterity |
| Physical | Tough Crasis | +1/use to Constitution |
| Physical | Rapid Movement | +5 ft/use to speed |
| Physical | Hard Skin | +1/use to natural damage reduction |
| Sensorial | Vision Enhancer | +2/use to Spot (or low-light vision) |
| Sensorial | Aural Enhancer | +2/use to Listen |
| Sensorial | Smell Enhancer | +2/use to smell-based checks |
| Sensorial | Gustatory Enhancer | +2/use to taste-based checks |
| Sensorial | Feel Enhancer | +2/use to touch-based checks |
| Vital | Anatomic Deformity | chance to negate sneak-attack/critical extra damage |
| Vital | Levitation | move up or down at will |
| Vital | Memory Enhancer | photographic memory; bonus prepared spells |
| Vital | Size Modification | alter your size category by ±1 per essence |
| Vital | Age Manipulation | reduce your apparent age for bonuses |
2nd-level essences
| Core | Essence | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Grafted Weapon | turn a hand into a weapon |
| Physical | Adrenaline Burst | +3/use to your next Dexterity-based d20 |
| Physical | Extraordinary Platelets | chance to stop a bleed |
| Physical | Molecular Hyperkinesis | 10%/use concealment |
| Physical | Resistant Skin | energy resistance 5/use vs a chosen type |
| Sensorial | Visual Alertness | +2/use vs visual illusions (or darkvision) |
| Sensorial | Aural Alertness | +3/use vs sound illusions |
| Sensorial | Scent Amplification | scent ability to 15 ft/use |
| Sensorial | Vitriolic Saliva | spit acid for 2d4/use |
| Sensorial | Asaar’adin’s Touch | share produced essences with allies |
| Vital | Durable Nervous System | 10%/use to ignore stun-type effects |
| Vital | Nullify Gravity | fly 30 ft/use |
| Vital | Mind Shield | +1/use vs mind-affecting (and harm the attacker) |
| Vital | Spacesense | sense creatures/objects within 20 ft in one realm |
| Vital | Time Deceleration | slow foes within 10 ft |
3rd-level essences
| Core | Essence | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Elementally Imbued Arms | +2d6/use energy on unarmed strikes |
| Physical | Unerring Dexterity | add 1d6/use to a Dexterity-based d20 |
| Physical | Rapid Cicatrization | fast healing 2/use |
| Physical | Multidimensional Transport | short or long teleport via the Transitive realms |
| Physical | Indestructible Skin | damage reduction 1/— per essence |
| Sensorial | True Vision | see things as they are, or darkvision, to 20 ft/use |
| Sensorial | Blindsight | blindsight 30 ft/use |
| Sensorial | Adrenal Scent | combat bonuses against a scented foe |
| Sensorial | Acinus Tongue | potions affect you more strongly |
| Sensorial | Tremorsense | tremorsense 20 ft/use |
| Vital | Transmute Form | take another creature’s form |
| Vital | Black Hole Plexus | spell resistance 11 + 4/use |
| Vital | Telekinetic Object | telekinetically wield a weapon or shield |
| Vital | Multidimensional Existence | exist in two or more realms at once |
| Vital | Time Interval | act freely for 1 round/use |
Essence Descriptions
Empowered Muscles
Physical (Strength); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Strength. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
You grow stronger and more muscular. The essence grants a +1 bonus to your Strength score, with all the usual benefits to melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and other Strength-based uses. Each additional essence increases the bonus by +1. Exponential combustion: +5 to Strength, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, take 1d6 temporary Strength damage as your muscles collapse, unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Grafted Weapon
Physical (Strength); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Strength. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You transform one hand (or a limb used as a hand) into any metal simple or martial light or one-handed melee weapon of masterwork quality. Each additional essence grants the weapon a further cumulative +1 enhancement-style bonus on attack and damage rolls. With both hands transformed you may, as a full-round action, merge them into a single simple or martial two-handed melee weapon (its quality is the average of the two). The weapons are iron (hardness 10); they can’t be disarmed but can be broken by a successful sunder — if sundered, the essence ends and the hand is left maimed, as a deep cut that severs the fingers. While a hand is a weapon you can’t use it for fine manual tasks; switching hand-to-weapon (or back) is a move action, and splitting a merged two-hander is a full-round action. Normal penalties apply if you lack proficiency, wield in the off hand, or fight with two weapon-hands without Two-Weapon Fighting. Exponential combustion: the weapon-hand is of superior quality, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) or the hand is deadened and unusable for 8 hours.
Elementally Imbued Arms
Physical (Strength); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Strength. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your arms are steeped in elemental power. Your unarmed strikes deal an extra 2d6 energy damage of one type chosen when you burn the essence (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) and count as magic weapons for overcoming damage reduction. Each additional essence adds +2d6. If you have transformed a hand with grafted weapon, the chosen energy adds to that weapon’s damage (the weapon then counts as magic), and for every 2d6 energy the weapon’s hardness rises by 5. A single hand can carry only one energy type, but a merged two-handed weapon may carry two — one for each original hand. Exponential combustion: one arm deals 10d6 energy of your chosen type, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25) or take 20d6 of that energy in the imbued arm.
Agile Tendons
Physical (Dexterity); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Dexterity. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
You become lithe and more nimble. The essence grants a +1 bonus to your Dexterity score, with the usual benefits to ranged attack rolls, Armor Class, Reflex saves, and other Dexterity-based uses. Each additional essence increases the bonus by +1. Exponential combustion: +5 to Dexterity, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, take 2d4 temporary Dexterity damage from tendinitis unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Adrenaline Burst
Physical (Dexterity); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Dexterity. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
Lightning reflexes seize you. You may add a +3 bonus to one d20 roll tied to Dexterity (a Reflex save, ranged attack roll, or Dexterity-based skill check); you must declare it before rolling, and once the roll is made the essence ends. Each additional essence increases the bonus by +3; several burned at once may be spent as separate +3 uses or pooled into one larger bonus. Exponential combustion: a +15 bonus, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, take 2d4 temporary Dexterity damage as your tendons give way unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Unerring Dexterity
Physical (Dexterity); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Dexterity. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 30 minutes.
You sense a clumsy action an instant before it happens and correct it. After rolling a d20 tied to Dexterity (a Reflex save, ranged attack roll, and the like), you may, as an immediate action, roll 1d6 and add it to that result; the essence then ends. Each additional essence adds +1d6 (spend as several 1d6 uses or one pooled roll). Exponential combustion: add 5d6 to one Dexterity-based d20, but the duration becomes 1 round; afterward take 2d4 permanent Constitution damage from torn tendons unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Tough Crasis
Physical (Constitution); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
You gain a hardier constitution. The essence grants a +1 bonus to your Constitution score, with the usual benefits to hit points, Fortitude saves, Constitution checks, and other Constitution-based uses. Each additional essence increases the bonus by +1. Exponential combustion: +5 to Constitution, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are nauseated 1d4 rounds unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Extraordinary Platelets
Physical (Constitution); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You can halt a bleeding wound. The essence gives a 15% chance to automatically stop a minor bleed; the d% is rolled automatically when you are bleeding, isn’t an action, and can happen once per round. Each additional essence raises the chance by 15%. A major, severe, or critical bleed can be closed too, but the chance drops by 10%, 20%, or 30% respectively (so a severe or critical bleed needs at least two or three active essences). The essence has no effect if you lack natural healing (such as an undead). Exponential combustion: a 75% chance, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you are nauseated 1d4 rounds and take 1d4 Constitution damage unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Rapid Cicatrization
Physical (Constitution); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
You gain astonishingly fast cell regrowth: fast healing 2 (you recover 2 lost hit points at the start of each of your turns while injured). Each additional essence adds +2. Depending on severity, the fast healing can also close a bleed; hit points it restores work like those from a cure wounds spell. Exponential combustion: fast healing 10, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you are petrified unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30) as your body crusts over and hardens.
Rapid Movement
Physical (Speed); 1st-level Production Penalty: −5 ft to speed. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
You move much faster than normal: +5 ft to your speed, and +1 on attack and damage rolls when you charge. Each additional essence adds another +5 ft and another +1 to charge attack and damage. The bonus (and the penalty) applies to every form of movement you have — land, fly, climb, swim, and so on. Exponential combustion: +25 ft to speed and +5 to charge attack and damage, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; afterward your legs go dead (dead-leg condition) for 1d10 rounds unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Molecular Hyperkinesis
Physical (Speed); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −10 ft to speed. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your molecules vibrate so fast that your outline blurs in your foes’ eyes: you gain concealment with a 10% miss chance. Each additional essence raises it by +10%. See invisibility doesn’t counter it; true seeing does. Force effects are affected normally (unlike blur), since the essence has nothing to do with the Ethereal. Foes who don’t rely on sight ignore the concealment. Exponential combustion: concealment with a 50% miss chance, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are nauseated 2 rounds and take 5d6 fire damage as kinetic friction ignites your body unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Multidimensional Transport
Physical (Speed); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −15 ft to speed. Starting Time: 1 standard action; see text. Duration: 1 hour.
You cross Material distances by exploiting the Transitive realms. As a free action you make a “jump” through the Ethereal or the Shadow to cross 10 ft on the Material Plane (you vanish and reappear at a spot of your choice); immediately afterward the essence ends. Each additional essence adds +10 ft. Alternatively, over 10 rounds you may jump through the Astral to cross 300 miles (each additional essence +300 miles; this works like teleport but can carry only you). Several burned at once may be pooled into one larger jump or spent as several small ones. The jump is blocked by dimensional anchor and wherever the realms don’t overlap; it cannot be used to remain within a Transitive realm. Exponential combustion: a 50-ft jump within 2 rounds (the Astral jump isn’t possible at this duration); afterward your Material location randomly shifts 1d20 miles in a random direction unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Hard Skin
Physical (Harden); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your skin gains cohesion and resilience: natural damage reduction 1 (or +1 to existing natural DR). Each additional essence adds +1. Exponential combustion: natural damage reduction 5 (or +5 to existing), but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, your skin splits and you suffer major bleeding in 1d4 places unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Resistant Skin
Physical (Harden); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your skin resists energy. Choose one energy type when you burn it (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic): you gain energy resistance 5 against it. Each additional essence either raises an existing resistance by +5 or grants resistance 5 against a new type. Exponential combustion: energy resistance 25 against one type, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, your skin splits and you suffer severe bleeding in 1d4 places unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Indestructible Skin
Physical (Harden); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your skin becomes incredibly hard: damage reduction 1/—. Each additional essence adds +1/—, and it stacks with any existing DR of this type. Exponential combustion: damage reduction 5/— (or +5 to existing), but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you fall unconscious for 4 hours and your skin splits with severe bleeding in 1d4 places unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Vision Enhancer
Sensorial (Ocular); 1st-level Production Penalty: −2 on Spot checks. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your sight sharpens: +2 on all Spot checks. Each additional essence adds +2. Alternatively, you may instead gain low-light vision to 30 ft (each additional essence +30 ft). Exponential combustion: +10 on Spot checks, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are dazed 1d4 rounds and suffer temporary blindness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Visual Alertness
Sensorial (Ocular); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −4 on Spot checks. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You resist visual illusions: +2 on Will saves to disbelieve any illusion or similar effect that works through a visual deception. Each additional essence adds +2. Alternatively, you may instead gain darkvision 30 ft (each additional essence +30 ft). Exponential combustion: +10 against visual illusions, or darkvision 150 ft, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you are stunned 1d4 rounds and suffer temporary blindness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
True Vision
Sensorial (Ocular); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −6 on Spot checks; −2 on all Strength- and Dexterity-based checks and activities that rely on vision. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
You see things as they truly are, as true seeing, to 20 ft. Each additional essence adds +20 ft. Alternatively, you may instead gain devil-like darkvision 30 ft that pierces even magical darkness (such as darkness or deeper darkness); each additional essence +30 ft. Exponential combustion: true seeing to 100 ft, or darkvision 150 ft that pierces magical darkness, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you fall unconscious 2 hours and suffer permanent blindness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Aural Enhancer
Sensorial (Auricular); 1st-level Production Penalty: −2 on Listen checks. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your hearing sharpens: +2 on all Listen checks. Each additional essence adds +2. Exponential combustion: +10 on Listen checks, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you suffer temporary deafness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Aural Alertness
Sensorial (Auricular); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −4 on Listen checks. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You resist sound-based illusions: +3 on Will saves to disbelieve any illusion or similar effect that works through a sound. Each additional essence adds +3. Requires undamaged hearing. Exponential combustion: +15 against sound illusions, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you suffer permanent deafness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Blindsight
Sensorial (Auricular); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −6 on Listen checks; −2 on all checks and activities that rely on hearing. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
From the faintest vibrations you build a picture of your surroundings: blindsight 30 ft (no Spot or Listen check needed; invisible and darkness-hidden creatures don’t escape it, though the ethereal can’t be detected). Each additional essence adds +30 ft. Requires undamaged hearing. Exponential combustion: blindsight 150 ft, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you fall unconscious 1 hour and suffer permanent blindness unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Smell Enhancer
Sensorial (Olfactory); 1st-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 5 ft. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your sense of smell sharpens: +2 on Craft (alchemy), Heal, Knowledge (any), Profession (any), Sense Motive, Survival, and any check that relies on smell. Each additional essence adds +2. Exponential combustion: +10, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are dazed 1d4 rounds from a splitting headache unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Scent Amplification
Sensorial (Olfactory); 2nd-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 10 ft. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your nose rivals that of a beast: you gain the scent ability to 15 ft. Each additional essence adds +15 ft. Wind toward you doubles the range (away halves it); strong scents are detected at double range, overpowering ones at triple. A move action pinpoints a scent’s direction; coming within 5 ft reveals its exact source. With the Track feat you can follow trails by smell. Exponential combustion: scent to 75 ft, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you are stunned 1d4 rounds and suffer major nasal bleeding unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Adrenal Scent
Sensorial (Olfactory); 3rd-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 20 ft. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
When you “smell” danger your adrenal glands flood you with strength. The essence works together with the scent ability: when you scent an imminent enemy, you gain +2 to Strength, Dexterity, Spot, and Listen, but only against that one enemy (you can’t hold the bonuses against more than one at a time). Each additional essence adds +2. If you lack the scent ability the essence underperforms: the bonuses trigger only after you have lost at least half your hit points and are then struck, and only against the attacker. Requires undamaged smell. Exponential combustion: +10 to those scores against one scented enemy, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you suffer severe nasal bleeding and faint for 2 hours unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Gustatory Enhancer
Sensorial (Taste); 1st-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 5 ft. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your sense of taste sharpens: +2 on Craft (any), Heal, Knowledge (any), Profession (any), Sense Motive, Survival, and any check that relies on taste. Each additional essence adds +2. Exponential combustion: +10, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you suffer major bleeding from the tongue unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Vitriolic Saliva
Sensorial (Taste) [acid]; 2nd-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 10 ft. Starting Time: 1 move action. Range: personal and close (25 ft + 5 ft per 2 essencer levels). Target/Effect: you; two acidic salivary glands. Duration: 1 hour.
Your saliva becomes caustic acid. With a successful ranged touch attack you spit it for 2d4 acid damage (no save; ignores spell resistance) out to 25 ft + 5 ft per two essencer levels; after spitting, your glands can’t fire again for 10 rounds. Each additional essence adds +2d4. You may instead store a vial of acid (this drains your glands for 10 minutes); the stored acid keeps its bite for 1 hour. Exponential combustion: the acid deals 10d4, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, the acid sears your own throat for 10d4 acid damage unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Acinus Tongue
Sensorial (Taste); 3rd-level Production Penalty: smell and taste are wasted; a character with the scent ability has its radius reduced by 20 ft. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your tongue grows hundreds of tiny magic-absorbing receptors that amplify potions. While the essence lasts, the benefits of potions you drink are multiplied by 1.5, but their duration is divided by 2. Each additional essence raises the multiplier by +0.5 and the divisor by +2. The minimum potion duration is 1 round; instantaneous potions are unaffected by the divisor; for potions whose benefit is rolled (such as cure moderate wounds), the multiplier applies to the final result. Requires undamaged taste. Exponential combustion: potion benefits are multiplied by 3.5 and their duration divided by 10, and the essence lasts 2 rounds; when it ends, you take 2d6 temporary Constitution damage from poisoning unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Feel Enhancer
Sensorial (Touch); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 on attack rolls, Armor Class, and grapple checks (formication); a character with the tremorsense ability has its radius reduced by 5 ft. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your sense of touch sharpens: +2 on Craft (any), Disable Device, Handle Animal, Heal, Open Lock, Profession (any), Search, Sleight of Hand, Use Rope, and any other check that relies on touch. Each additional essence adds +2. Exponential combustion: +10, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are stunned 1d4 rounds from searing nerve pain unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Asaar’adin’s Touch
Sensorial (Touch); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 on attack rolls, Armor Class, and grapple checks (formication); a character with the tremorsense ability has its radius reduced by 10 ft. Starting Time: see text. Range: touch. Target: one creature touched. Duration: instantaneous; see text. Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless). Spell Resistance: No.
You can share your produced essences with allies. Burn an asaar’adin’s touch essence and hand one of your other prepared essences to a creature you touch: the touch essence’s starting time equals that of the granted essence (you pay the action), and its duration is instantaneous for you. The recipient automatically burns the granted essence (no action) and benefits from it for its normal duration (their body is briefly altered so they can burn it). You may grant any prepared essence of any level except asaar’adin’s touch itself, and may grant several by burning more. A catalytic-combustion enhancement carries over if you have chosen both the sensorial core and the granted essence’s core. An unwilling recipient resists with a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your essencer level + your Charisma modifier). Exponential combustion: the granted essence functions as though it too were burned with exponential combustion; afterward you are paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 rounds unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Tremorsense
Sensorial (Touch); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 on attack rolls, Armor Class, and grapple checks (formication); a character with the tremorsense ability has its radius reduced by 15 ft. Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your touch grows exquisitely sensitive: tremorsense 20 ft (you feel ground vibrations and pinpoint anything in contact with the ground, and sense creatures moving in water while you are in water). Each additional essence adds +20 ft. Requires undamaged touch. Exponential combustion: tremorsense 100 ft, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you fall unconscious for 2 hours unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Anatomic Deformity
Vital (Physiology); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
Your vital organs rearrange and shift position without losing function: you gain a 10% chance to avoid the extra damage an enemy deals with a backstab, critical hit, or sneak attack. Each additional essence adds +10%. Exponential combustion: a 50% chance, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; afterward you lose your senses for 2 hours and take 2d4 permanent Constitution damage unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Durable Nervous System
Vital (Physiology); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
Your nervous system grows resilient: a 10% chance to ignore daze, paralysis, nausea, stagger, and stun effects. Each additional essence adds +10%. Exponential combustion: a 50% chance, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; afterward you fall unconscious for 2 hours and take 1d4 temporary Constitution damage unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Transmute Form
Vital (Physiology); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Constitution. Starting Time: 1 round. Duration: 1 hour.
Your cells mimic those of another creature, copying its genetic code. You take the form of any living creature of your own type or of the aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, plant, or vermin types, with Hit Dice no greater than your essencer level. You gain the form’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and all of its extraordinary special attacks and qualities (such as poison, blindsense, fast healing, regeneration, and scent), but keep your own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and gain none of the form’s supernatural or spell-like abilities. Each additional essence adds +2 Hit Dice to the form. You can’t take a form smaller than Fine, nor an incorporeal or gaseous one; your type and subtype change to match the new form. If you are killed while transformed, the essence ends and your body reverts. Exponential combustion: a form with Hit Dice equal to your essencer level + 8, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, your body collapses and you take 2d6 temporary Constitution damage unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Levitation
Vital (Gravity); 1st-level Production Penalty: your density rises; you weigh +20% (treated as part of your load, possibly exceeding a load limit). Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 2 hours.
You control the gravity acting on you, moving up or down at will — 10 ft per round per essence — and may carry creatures or objects up to your heavy load. You can’t move horizontally, but you can climb along a surface (for example, traverse a ceiling or push off a wall to drift, at half speed). While aloft, your attacks take a cumulative −1 circumstance penalty per attack (maximum −5) unless you spend a full-round action to steady yourself. Exponential combustion: levitate 50 ft per round, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you are nauseated 1d4 rounds from a churning stomach unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Nullify Gravity
Vital (Gravity); 2nd-level Production Penalty: your density rises; you weigh +40% (treated as part of your load). Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You ignore gravity entirely: fly speed 30 ft (good maneuverability; reduced by 20 ft in medium or heavy armor). Each additional essence adds +30 ft. You ascend at half speed and descend at double; you fly as easily as you walk and may attack or cast normally, and may charge but not run. If the duration ends while you are aloft, you fall and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft. Exponential combustion: fly 150 ft, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; afterward you are nauseated 2d4 rounds unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Black Hole Plexus
Vital (Gravity); 3rd-level Production Penalty: your density rises; you weigh +60% (treated as part of your load). Starting Time: 1 standard action. Duration: 1 hour.
You warp and condense the gravity around your body into hundreds of thousands of microscopic black holes, an almost-invisible lattice that hugs your skin. The essence grants spell resistance 11. Each additional essence adds +4. The lattice can crush nearly anything: a creature of your size or smaller that touches it for any reason (unarmed strike, grapple, and the like) is crushed at the molecular level unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your essencer level + your Charisma modifier); a crushed creature ends the essence. A nonmagical object of your mass or less has a 10% chance to be destroyed on contact (+10% per essence; magic items are immune). Exponential combustion: spell resistance 27 and a 50% object-destruction chance, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, your ribs are crushed and you suffer catastrophic internal injury unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Memory Enhancer
Vital (Mind); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Intelligence; you lose all prepared spells (if any). Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 4 hours.
You gain photographic memory: you can perfectly record any complex sequence, conversation, or piece of information you see or hear (no action) and recall it at will. If you prepare spells, while under the essence you may prepare one extra 1st-level spell, which functions as a bonus spell per day; each additional essence grants another. Catalytic combustion works a little differently here: it lets you prepare a higher-level extra spell instead, scaling with how many times you have chosen the vital core for catalytic combustion. Exponential combustion: prepare one extra 9th-level spell (or any combination of extra spells whose levels total 9 or less), with the essence lasting 9 rounds; when it ends, you lose all prepared spells and can’t prepare again for 24 hours unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Mind Shield
Vital (Mind) [mind-affecting]; 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Intelligence; you lose all prepared spells (if any). Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour.
You resist attacks on your mind: +1 on Will saves against any mind-affecting spell or effect, and on a successful save the attacker automatically takes 1d4 force damage. Each additional essence adds +1 to the save and +1d4 to the counterstrike. Exponential combustion: +5 on Will saves against mind-affecting effects and 5d4 force damage to a foiled attacker, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you take 1d4 temporary Intelligence damage and suffer a lingering memory-scrambling affliction unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Telekinetic Object
Vital (Mind); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Intelligence; you lose all prepared spells (if any). Starting Time: 1 standard action. Range: personal and close (25 ft + 5 ft per 2 levels); see text. Target: you and one touched object; see text. Duration: 1 hour.
With the power of your mind you wield an object telekinetically. The object must be a melee weapon or shield weighing up to 5 lb and held in your hands when you burn the essence (mundane or magic). You then control it within 25 ft + 5 ft per two essencer levels. Once per round, before or after your turn, it can attack one target (an immediate action requiring a Concentration check, DC 15; its attack bonus equals ½ your essencer level + your Charisma modifier + the item’s attack bonus, and its damage adds your Charisma modifier) or instead defend you or an ally (granting that creature an Armor Class equal to its base AC + ½ your essencer level + your Charisma modifier + the item’s attack bonus). The object threatens a 5-ft radius and can make attacks of opportunity, drawn from your own pool. Each additional essence increases the maximum weight by +5 lb and grants +1 to the object’s attack rolls, Armor Class, and damage. You can release it as a free action; an intelligent item resists control (Will save, DC equal to the item’s Ego). Exponential combustion: wield an object of up to 25 lb at +4 to its attacks, Armor Class, and damage, but the duration becomes 2 rounds; when it ends, you take 1d4 temporary Intelligence damage and suffer a lingering mutagenic affliction unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Size Modification
Vital (Space); 1st-level Production Penalty: −1 to Constitution; you can’t perform planar travel (teleportation, plane shifting, astral, ethereal, mirror, or shadow travel). Starting Time: 1 round. Duration: 2 hours.
You reshape your size: each essence changes your size by one category, larger or smaller than normal. Your gear isn’t resized unless it is itself magically able to resize — enlarging while wearing armor can destroy it (leather is ruined; metal deals 4d6 bludgeoning damage per round). Exponential combustion: change your size by five categories, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, the return to normal goes wrong and you suffer major internal bleeding in 1d4 places unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Spacesense
Vital (Space); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 to Constitution; you can’t perform planar travel (teleportation, plane shifting, astral, ethereal, mirror, or shadow travel). Starting Time: 1 move action. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
You sense the presence of every object and creature around you. When you burn it, choose the Material Plane or one Transitive realm (Astral, Ethereal, Mirrors, or Shadow): you sense the presence of any object or creature (even invisible) within 20 ft there. Each additional essence adds +20 ft. The information deepens the longer you study: on the 1st round you sense presence; on the 2nd, number and size; on the 3rd, exact locations. Burning more at once lets you sense several realms simultaneously. Exponential combustion: sense within 100 ft in one realm, but the duration becomes 3 rounds; when it ends, you take 1d4 temporary Constitution damage and are dazed 1d4 rounds unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Multidimensional Existence
Vital (Space); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −3 to Constitution; you can’t perform planar travel (teleportation, plane shifting, astral, ethereal, mirror, or shadow travel). Starting Time: 1 round. Duration: 1 hour.
You gain simultaneous existence in more than one realm. When you burn it, choose a Transitive realm (Astral, Ethereal, Mirrors, or Shadow): you gain that dimensional form alongside your Material one, overlapping the same space and fully perceiving both, and gain that form’s advantages against creatures native to it (for example, attacking an ethereal foe with no miss chance while remaining a normal target to Material foes). Each additional essence grants another dimensional form (maximum five — the four Transitive forms plus the Material). Your statistics are shared across all forms (multiple forms grant no extra movement, hit points, attacks, or the like). You may dismiss a form as a free action, even the Material one, so long as one remains; with only a single Transitive form active you function as the matching travel spell (astral projection, ethereal jaunt, mirror walk, or shadow walk), except that the astral form leaves no body behind, so death there is real. Dimensional anchor prevents you from burning the essence (though forms already gained persist, you can’t then dismiss them). When the duration ends you return to your Material form. Exponential combustion: gain the astral, ethereal, mirror, and shadow forms all at once, but the duration becomes 4 rounds; when it ends, you take 1d4 temporary Constitution damage and fall unconscious for 2 hours in a randomly determined realm unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).
Age Manipulation
Vital (Time); 1st-level Production Penalty: you grow +5 years older (any aging penalties apply during the production time, but aging bonuses do not); +2 on all Disguise checks for that time. Starting Time: 1 minute. Duration: 8 hours.
You control your body’s youth: the essence reduces your age by 5 years and grants +2 on Disguise checks. Each additional essence reduces your age by 5 more years and adds +2 more. Aging penalties vanish if your age drops below their threshold; aging bonuses are unaffected. The minimum is the age of a newborn; reducing yourself to adolescence or younger changes your statistics accordingly (the DM sets the appropriate age stage for your kindred). Exponential combustion: become 25 years younger, but the duration becomes 18 rounds; when it ends, your body permanently ages 2d4 years unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20).
Time Deceleration
Vital (Time); 2nd-level Production Penalty: −2 on attack rolls and Armor Class and −5 ft to speed (slowed time); you regain only half the usual hit points from natural healing. Starting Time: 2 minutes. Range: personal. Area: all allies and foes within a 10-ft-radius burst centered on you. Duration: 4 hours. Saving Throw: Will negates; see text. Spell Resistance: No.
You slow time in a 10-ft-radius aura around you. Anyone but you within the aura must succeed on a Will save or take −2 on all attack rolls and Armor Class and −5 ft to speed. Each additional essence worsens the penalty by −2 and the speed loss by 5 ft. A creature that saves is immune to the aura for 24 hours. Exponential combustion: the aura inflicts −10 on attack rolls and Armor Class and −25 ft to speed on anyone within 10 ft, but the duration becomes 9 rounds; when it ends, you are paralyzed 1d4 rounds from the backlash unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 25).
Time Interval
Vital (Time); 3rd-level Production Penalty: −4 on attack rolls and Armor Class and −15 ft to speed (slowed time); you can’t regain hit points through natural healing. Starting Time: 1 free action. Duration: 1 round (apparent time); see text.
You accelerate so violently that the world around you seems frozen while, in truth, it moves on at normal speed. The essence grants 1 round of apparent time to act as you wish; you may extend it by burning more time interval essences (each a free action) during the apparent time. The essence offers no protection from accidental harm (such as a fall). While time is “frozen,” all other creatures are untouchable by your attacks, essences, and spells — you can’t even make contact with them — though an area effect with a longer duration than the remaining apparent time resumes normally afterward. You can’t move objects held or worn by a frozen creature, but may use any unattended object. You are treated as invisible (only true seeing notices a blur where you move). Catalytic combustion applies only if you have chosen the vital core for it at least twice, in which case it doubles the duration to 2 rounds but raises the starting time to 1 standard action. Exponential combustion: the starting time becomes 2 rounds and the duration is multiplied by five (5 rounds); when it ends, your body permanently ages 2d8 years unless you succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 30).