The Elementalist

by Paul Fanning

Elementalists are born with the supernatural ability to shape or embody some of the world’s building blocks and fundamental forces– the elements. Some believe Elementalists are created by the world as a defensive response. Others see them as a higher (or bastardized) development of the various races, or just another part of nature that has always been. An Elementalist can strive to become a protector of the world, or a master of it.

OVERVIEW

Play style: Elementalists are somewhat complicated characters, with a fair amount of options during both development and play. They might be a little much for beginners, but offer a lot of enjoyment for an experienced player who would like to manipulate the battlefield and their character’s capabilities through the supernatural abilities of a minor force of nature.
Ability Scores: Either Strength and Dexterity are important for an Elementalist, depending on what which one they will be using to attack. Wisdom is important to all Elementalists, as it is used by many of their talents and powers.
Races: Human Elementalists tend towards inheriting the Elemental Bond of parents or grandparents, and there are clans of Human Elementalists who all share the same bent. The many Dwarven Elementalists are usually connected to steel, stone, and the fires of the forge; just as some Wood Elves are one with wood, water, and air. Of the common races, Half-Orcs seem to have the greatest proportion and variety of Elementalists among them, perhaps because the world itself gave them a little something extra to fight off what threatens it.
Backgrounds: Frontier guardian, heavy infantry savant, hermit, circus star, temple devotee, engineer of the Imperial forces, tribal champion, wizard’s ward, deep miner, crusading purifier
Icons: The High Druid and her followers believe Elementalists are created by nature, drawing on the strength of the land to maintain it against outside threats. The Archmage sees Elementalists as another form of magic that should be harnessed, and many Elementalists find purpose in being part of the Archmage’s order. Some people see the class as innately superior members of the races that spawned them, which could lead an Elementalist to either the Crusader or the Great Gold Wyrm, depending on exactly what responsibilities and privileges the Elementalist feels their supposed superiority entails—and if the Elementalist can overcome possible prejudice. The Dwarf King is said to reward his various Elementalists well, though they are often found deep in mines and forges, or on missions far afield.

GEAR

At 1ST level, Elementalists start with a weapon or two plus armor and a shield– if they want any of them—as well as standard nonmagical gear that is suggested by their background.
Elementalists who have found their calling start with 25 gp in savings. Those who are still searching start with 1d6 x 10 gp.
Armor
Elementalists can wear any type of armor. Some wear none, as they find it interferes with their closeness to the elements, and their element-assisted mobility—or because their skin is (almost) as hard as stone already. Some Elementalists with a bond towards metal wear heavy armor as if it were a second skin, though it still interferes with some of their powers.

Elementalist Armor and AC
Type                   Base AC                 Atk Penalty
None                            12                                   –
Light                            14                                  -2
Heavy                          16                                  -2
Shield                           +1                                   –

Weapons
An Elementalist favors solid and functional arms, relying on their supernatural power to augment their offense—or to create their own weapons.

Melee Weapons

	One-Handed	Two-Handed
Small	1d4 dagger	1d6 club
Light or Simple	1d6 hammer, shortsword	1d8 spear
Heavy or Martial	1d8 longsword, warhammer	1d10 greatsword, heavy warhammer

Ranged Weapons

	Thrown	Crossbow	Bow
Small	1d4 dagger	1d4 hand crossbow (-2 atk)	–
Light or Simple	1d6 javelin	1d6 light crossbow (-2 atk)	1d6 shortbow (-2 atk)
Heavy Martial	–	1d8 (-2 atk) heavy crossbow	1d8 (-2 atk) longbow

Elementalist Level Progression

Elementalist Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus	+2 Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom (different from racial bonus)
Initiative	Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (no armor)	12 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense	11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defence	11 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points	(7 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)
Recoveries	(probably) 8
Recovery Dice	(1d8 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds	8 points, max 5 in any one background
Icon Relationships	3 points
Talents	3
Feats	1 per Level

Melee attack

At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level
Ranged attack
At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

Class Feature

ELEMENTAL BOND
Choose one of the following: Cold, Fire, Lightning, Negative, Poison or Thunder. You have Resistance 12+ to this energy type. In addition, your Elementalist powers do this type of damage (unless you are resistant to Negative or Poison—meaning your bond is with something like earth, metal, or wood– in which case your attacks are untyped).

Adventurer Feat: Your resistance is now 16+
Champion Feat: Add a second damage type. Choose one damage type for you Elementalist powers each time you use them.
Epic Feat: Add an additional damage type.

ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION
Once per battle (or about once a minute out of battle), you can manipulate the elements as a standard action. For each resistance provided by your Elemental Bond, choose one of the following:

Mend a small, mundane item of wood, stone, or metal (choose one when you gain this feature). Or, manipulate at a distance a nearby item of the same material for one round.
Create a torch-like source of light that lasts until the end of the battle, or one minute out of battle.
Ignite one nearby, mundane flammable item (of campfire size or smaller) or evaporate one small source (a bucket or puddle) of normal water.
Freeze one small source (a bucket or puddle) of normal water, or quench one nearby, mundane flame of campfire size or less.
Manipulate, at a distance, any one small nearby item for one round.
Adventurer feat: Use this feature as a quick action.
Epic feat: Use this feature once a round, at-will.

Class Talents

Choose 3 of the following class talents.

A note on the names of the talents: like other aspects of 13th Age, these are just flavorful examples, to prevent every Elementalist talent being called “—– of the Elements”. For instance, Aspect of Iron could be Aspect of the Glacier or Aspect of Stone, Wind Rider could be a burst of fire or the earth suddenly rising up to catapult you through the air, etc.

ABSORPTION
Choose one of Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder (if your Elemental Bond class feature applies to one of these, you must choose one it applies to for this talent). You may use Absorption once per battle, when your Elemental Bond halves the damage you take from an attack.  As a free action, you may either spend a recovery, or make a special close-quarters Wisdom + level vs. PD attack against a nearby enemy. On a hit, that enemy also takes half damage from the triggering attack.
Adventurer Feat: Add a second damage type.
Champion Feat: You may use Absorption twice per battle.
Epic Feat: Add a third damage type.
    
ASPECT OF THE ELEMENTS
Each battle, when the escalation die is first 6+, roll 1d4 and add that to the initiative you rolled at the beginning of battle. In addition, until the end of the battle, add 1d4 to your attack rolls, checks, and saving throws.
Adventurer feat: This talent instead applies when the escalation die is 5+.
Champion Feat: This talent instead applies when the escalation die is 4+.
Epic Feat: This talent instead applies when the escalation die is 3+.

BODY OF STONE
When you take a critical hit from an attack that targets AC, roll an easy save (6+). On a success, the hit becomes a normal hit.
Champion Feat: This talent now works against attacks vs. PD.

EYES OF FLAME
Choose one of the following elements:  fire, metal, stone, water, or wood. If you do not move on your turn, you may use one far away and substantial source of the chosen element that you can see (a torch, a sword, a bucket of water, etc.) as if it were your location for purposes of vision. If you have the World Stride talent, you must choose the same element.
Adventurer Feat: You may hear using this talent.                                                                           
Champion Feat: You may use this talent with a second element.
Epic Feat: You may sense the past using this talent, though it may take long concentration– or simply be impossible– to see more than a day into the past, depending on the circumstances.

ICE ARMOR
As a free action, summon and don a suit of Ice Armor, which is heavy armor. When you gain this talent, choose one of the resistances available with Elemental Bond– you now have that resistance at 12+ while wearing this Armor. The Armor quickly discorporates if removed, and usually may not be worn by others.
Champion feat: The resistance from this talent is now 16+.

IRON THORNS
While you are conscious and not stunned, deal your Wisdom modifier in damage to each enemy who hits you with a melee attack and rolls an odd attack roll. This damage hits the enemy after their attack damages you.   At 5^th level, this damage increases to 2x your Wisdom modifier, and to 3x at 8^th level.
Champion Feat: This talent works when you are unconscious or stunned.

STONEROOT STRIDE
If you did not move on your turn, whenever an enemy attempts to disengage from you before your next turn, it takes a penalty to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Adventurer Feat: Whenever an enemy disengages from you, it takes your Wisdom modifier in damage. At 5^TH level, it is double the modifier. At 8^TH level, it’s triple.
Champion Feat: This talent works when you move.

WEAPON OF FIRE
As a free action, you can summon an Elemental Weapon, one of the following (chosen when you gain this talent):
A 1d6 light/simple weapon that can be thrown at nearby targets, or at far away targets (-2 atk).
A 1d8 heavy/martial weapon.
A 1d10 heavy/martial two-handed weapon.
If the weapon is one-handed, you may also summon either a second weapon or a shield (again, choose when this talent is selected). When you gain this talent, choose untyped (a weapon of wood, stone or metal) or choose cold, fire, or lightning—the weapon (and your Elementalist powers) does damage of that type, or the type stipulated by your Elemental Bond (your choice on each use). The weapon discorporates at the end of the battle, and usually may not be used by others.
Adventurer Feat:  You may summon a weapon of any of the above sizes, as well as a second weapon or a shield.                                                                    
Champion Feat: You may create a weapon of one different damage type (including untyped).
Epic Feat: The weapon damage increases by one step.

WIND RIDER
When the escalation dies is 1+, you can use a standard action to gain flight until the end of your turn. When using this talent, you gain a bonus to disengage checks equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Adventurer Feat:  When falling, you may gain flight a free action until the start of your next turn.                                                                           
Champion Feat: You may activate this talent as a quick action when the escalation die is 1+.
Epic Feat: This talent no longer depends on the escalation die.

WORLD STEP
Choose one of the following elements:  fire, metal, stone, water, or wood. Once per battle as a move action, you may teleport to a nearby location you can see that is adjacent to a significant piece of that element (a torch, a sword, a bucket of water etc.). If you have the Eyes of Flame talent, you must choose the same element.
Adventurer Feat: You may teleport to a far away location you can see.                                                                         
Champion Feat: Select an additional element this talent applies to.
Epic Feat: You may use this talent twice per battle.

WORLD’S BREATH
Whenever you are staggered and you hit with an even attack roll, regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier. At 5^th level, increase the hit points gained to 2x your Wisdom modifier. At 8^th level, increase to 4x.
Adventurer Feat: When you are staggered and hit with an even attack roll of 16+, also make one save against an effect a save can end.

POWERS
The names of Elementalist Powers follow the same guidelines as the Talents, or of a lot of things in 13^th Age—meaning Ironoak Grasp can be Glacier Grasp or Gale Grasp, Petrification can be Immolation or Perfect Strike of Soulforged Steel, etc.
Elementalist attacks made with thrown weapons always return the weapon to the Elementalists grasp after the attack is resolved—or, alternately, the attack simply projected elemental energy from the weapon. Use whatever concept fits the character.

1^st LEVEL POWERS

BLOOD FOR THE STONE
Daily
Recharge 16+
Free action when you hit an enemy with an attack
Effect: You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt to that enemy.
Adventurer Feat: While you have temporary hit points, you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws.              
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.

CORONA
Daily
Quick Action
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, any creature that ends its turn engaged with you takes your Wisdom modifier + Level in damage.  At 5^th level, increase to 2x your Wisdom modifier + your level. At 8^th level, increase to 3x.

   
IGNITION
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Melee or Ranged Attack
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Wisdom damage, and on a natural even attack roll, the target takes ongoing damage (of the same type as the attack, if any) equal to twice your level. The ongoing damage does not stack with ongoing damage of the same type.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.

LIVING AVALANCE
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Close quarters attack
Move action
Target: One nearby creature
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. PD
Hit:  The target, if engaged, pops free without provoking opportunity attacks. If a nearby enemy, the target is now engaged with you.
Special: On each even hit, target an additional nearby creature, that was either in a group with or engaged with the target.
Miss:—
Adventurer Feat: The attack now targets 1d2 nearby creatures in a group.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.

MITHRIL MOUNTAIN
Daily
Recharge 16+
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain resistance 16+ to all damage.
Adventurer Feat:   You can activate this power as a free action when an enemy hits you.                                                                          
Champion Feat:  Recharge roll is now 11+.
        
RESOUNDING THUNDER
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Melee or Ranged Attack
Target: One nearby  enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) damage. At the end of your turn, one random nearby enemy takes your Wisdom modifier in damage. This increases to 2X your Wisdom modifier at 5^th level, and 3X at 8^th level.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: The bonus damage applies to 1d2 nearby enemies.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.                                                                         
Epic Feat: The bonus damage applies to 1d3 nearby enemies.

STORMBLADE
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Close-quarters attack
Target: 1d3 nearby enemies in a group
Attack: Wisdom + level vs. PD
Hit: WEAPON damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: The attack now targets 1d3+1 nearby enemies in a group.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.


3^RD LEVEL POWERS

BLINDING BLAST
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Melee or Ranged Attack
Target: One nearby enemy.
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Wisdom damage. On a natural even hit, the target is dazed.
Miss: Half damage.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.

SHIELD OF AIR
Daily
Recharge 16+
Interrupt Action
Trigger: An attack that targets AC hits you.
Effect: The attacker must reroll the attack with a -2 penalty, and until the start of your next turn, each attack that targets your AC take a -2 penalty. In addition, you lose your standard action on your next turn.
Until the end of the battle, you may reuse this power as a free action.
Adventurer Feat:  You instead lose your move action rather than your standard action.                                                                         
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.
Epic Feat: This power now also works against attacks that target PD.

SOULSTEEL STRIKE
Daily
Recharge 16+ after battle
Quick action
Effect: Until the end of the battle, you may make the following attack:
Melee or Ranged Attack
Target: One nearby enemy who was engaged at the start of this turn.
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + Wisdom + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: The crit range of the attack expands by 2.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.
Epic Feat: The attack now targets PD.

WATER FLOWS
Daily
Recharge 16+ at the end of the battle
Free action
Effect: This battle, you may rally once as a quick action. When you do, you may roll a saving throw against an effect a save can end.
Adventurer Feat: The rally from this power may be used as a free action, even when it’s not your turn.
Champion Feat: The power grants a second rally.
Epic Feat: Recharge is now 11+.

5^th Level Powers

IRONOAK GRASP
Daily
Melee or ranged attack
Target: 1d3 nearby enemies in a group
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + Level vs. PD
Hit: Weapon + Wisdom damage, and the target cannot move or use move actions on their next turn.
Miss: Half damage, and the target loses its next move action.
Epic Feat: The power now targets 1d3+1 enemies in a group.

MOUNTAIN FALL
Melee or ranged attack
Daily
Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + WEAPON + Level + Strength (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) damage
Miss: Half damage.                                                                                 
   
VARIABLE RESISTANCE
Daily
Quick Action
Effect: The Resistance provided by your Elemental Bond applies to another possible type until the end of the battle.
Adventurer Feat: You can activate this power as a free action when hit by an attack.                                                                         

7^TH LEVEL POWERS

ERUPTION
Close-quarters attack
Daily
Target: Two groups of 1d4 nearby enemies
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. PD
Hit: 3d12 + Wisdom + Level damage, and ongoing damage equal to your level.
Allies engaged with a targeted enemy take one quarter damage.
Miss:  Half damage. Allies engaged with the target take one quarter damage.                                                                           
Champion Feat: The power deals the ongoing damage to the target on a miss.
Epic Feat: The power now targets an additional group of 1d4 nearby enemies.

HEART OF THE EARTH
Close quarters power
Daily
Recharge 16+
Free action when you roll a death saving throw
Effect: Add you Wisdom modifier to your death saving throws. This effect last until the end of the battle.
Champion Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.
Epic Feat: One time only, when you die, you will be resurrected sometime after the end of the day, in a place that is important to you.

SUDDEN GALE
Close-quarters power
Recharge 16+
Quick action
Effect: Gain flight until the end of your next turn.
Champion Feat: The power can now be activated as a free action when it’s not your turn.
Epic Feat: Recharge roll is now 11+.

9^TH LEVEL POWERS

PETRIFICATION
Melee or Ranged Attack
Daily
Target: One nearby creature
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity (melee) or Dexterity (ranged) + Level vs. PD
Hit:  Weapon + Wisdom damage plus an equal amount of ongoing damage. The target is dazed and loses its move action on its next turn (save ends all).
Miss: —

SUPPRESSION
Melee attack
Daily
Target: One creature with less than 500 hp.
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. MD
Hit: Target loses the use of any spell, power, or ability that has a damage type you have Elemental Bond with (hard save ends).
Miss: Target is dazed.

WORLD WRATH
Close-quarters power
Daily
Free action when knocked unconscious by enemy damage. This action does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Target: Two groups of 1d4 enemies.
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. PD
Hit: 12d12 + Wisdom damage.
Any allies engaged with the enemy take one quarter damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Epic Feat: The power can target an additional group of 1d4 enemies.

TALENTS FOR OTHER CLASSES

BARD
STONESINGER
Choose one Elementalist power of your own level or lower. You may now use this power, and improve it by taking its feats up to your tier. The elemental type of the power is chosen when the power is selected.
Adventurer Feat: You can use Charisma for the power’s attack and damage bonus (if any). Other ability score references remain unchanged.
Champion Feat: Choose a second Elementalist power. After each full heal-up, choose which power you will be able to use.
Epic Feat: Choose a third Elementalist power. After each full heal-up, choose which power you will be able to use.

RANGER
TRACK OF THE ELEMENTS
Chose one daily or recharge Elementalist power of your level or lower. You may use this power as if you were an Elementalist. The elemental type (Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder or untyped) of the power is chosen when the power is selected.
Adventurer Feat: One battle per day, you gain the resistance provided by the Elemental Bond class feature.
Champion Feat: You can now choose from Elementalist powers that last until the end of the battle.
Epic Feat: You gain an additional Elementalist power of your choice, a total of two from this talent.

SORCERER
WORLDLY SORCEROR
You may use a Sorcerer spell choice to gain an Elementalist power of the same level or lower. The elemental type (Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder or untyped) of the power is chosen when the power is selected.
Adventurer Feat: You gain the resistance provided by the Elemental Bond class feature.
Champion Feat: The resistance is now 16+.
Epic Feat: You gain the ability to change the damage type of any of your Sorcerer spells or talents to the type of your Elemental Bond, or to make it untyped (if your Bond is with Negative or Poison). The power selected for Worldly Sorcerer can now have this type (if applicable).