Darkness (Int)

Cloak of Night

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 Minute

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Resolve

Drawing your hand in a sweeping gesture, you shroud the target in a veil of night. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the Target's Resolve defence. The target's eyes are blanketed in darkness. If you cast this spell on a willing ally (for instance, one with light blindness), the ally can choose which result it gets without rolling. Regardless of the outcome, the target is then temporarily immune to this spell for 1 minute.

• Success The target is shrouded in murky darkness. Unless the target has darkvision, other creatures are concealed to it.
• Failure The target is unaffected.

Dim the Light

Range: Self

Rote Casting: 1 Reaction

Duration: Instantaneous

Target: Self

When you cast a spell from the Sphere of Darkness, you may immediately cast Dim the Light afterwards to cause the ambient light to flicker just enough for you to disappear from view. You make a Stealth check to hide as part of casting Dim the Light, and you can become hidden even if you don't have cover and aren't otherwise concealed. You cease being hidden at the end of your turn unless you become concealed before then. 

Fear

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Varies

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Resolve

You plant fear in the target. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the target's Resolve defence.

• Critical Success The target is frightened 3 and fleeing for 1 round.
• Success The target is frightened 2.
• Failure The target is frightened 1.
• Critical Failure  The target is unaffected.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, you can target 1 additional creature

Gloom Mote

Range: 3 Range

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Minute

Target: 1 orb of darklight

You draw forth the energy of Shadow and form it into a floating mote of gloom. The mote creates dim light in Melee range. It also lowers the light level within Close range, down to dim. As a move action, you can move the mote up to 2 Range. The mote winks out if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell’s range. You can have only one gloom mote spell active at a time. If you cast this spell while another gloom mote of yours is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled.

Glutton's Jaw

Range: Self

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Minute

Target: Self

You call upon the power of the Hungry Mountains, the domain of hunger and cold. Your mouth transforms into a shadowy maw bristling with pointed teeth. These jaws are an unarmed attack dealing 1d8 piercing damage. If you hit with your jaws and deal damage, you gain 1d6 temporary Vitality Points. 

Heightened: For every 2 levels you increase the spell, the temporary Vitality Points you gain increase by 1d6.

Penumbral Shroud

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Scene

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Willpower

You envelop the target in a shroud of shadow. The target perceives light as one step lower than it actually is (bright light becomes dim light, for example), affecting their ability to sense creatures and objects accordingly. The shroud also provides the target a +1 status bonus to saving throws against light effects. While this effect is helpful to creatures sensitive to light, if the creature is unwilling, you must make a Darkness spell attack check against the target's Willpower defence.

• Success The effect lasts its normal duration.
• Failure The effect lasts for 1 round
• Critical Failure The target is unaffected.

Twilight Vision

Range: Melee

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Varies

Target: All creatures in Melee

Defence: Resolve

You thin the barrier between the mortal realm and Shadow around you, granting those around you a vision of the Nightmare Realm. Natural features they can see grow twisted and horrendous, structures appear distorted and ruined, and objects seem warped and alien. This alternate vision fades quickly, but the glimpse into the Netherworld lingers for the spell's duration. 

Horrors, nethermancers, and others with a terror score are bolstered by this thinning of reality and gain a +1 spell bonus to Resolve defence and all attack rolls for 1 minute. Meanwhile, make a Darkness spell attack roll against the resolve Resolve defence of all other targets in the area.

• Critical Success The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 minute and frightened 2. It can't reduce the value of its frightened condition below 1 as long as it remains stupefied by this spell.
• Success The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 minute and frightened 1.
• Failure The creature is sickened 1.
• Critical Failure  The creature is unaffected and temporarily immune for 1 hour.

Umbral Tethers

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Minute or until dismissed

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Dodge

You shape darkness into chains, vines, or other tethers to bind your target to you. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the target's Dodge defence.

A tethered creature can still try to Escape, and it or others can break the tethers by attacking them (the tethers have Armor of 15 and 10 Wound Points). You must stay within Close range of the target while it is tethered; moving out of Close Range from your target ends the spell. 

• Critical Success The target is immobilized until it Escapes or the spell ends.
• Success  The target is Slowed 2 and cannot move more than Close Range away from you until it Escapes or the spell ends.
• Failure The target is Slowed 1 as long as it is within Close range of you.
• Critical Failure The target is unaffected.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, you increase the tethers' Armor by 3, and Wound Points by 10.

Untouchable Aura

Range: Self

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Minute

Area: Melee-range emanation

Defence: Resolve

You manifest an aura of nightmares around you which reacts to anyone trying to attack you in melee, forcing the assailant’s worst nightmares to consume their thoughts.

Make a Darkness spell attack check against all targets in melee range. Anyone trying to make a melee attack against you must succeed on a Will save or lose their attack action as they recoil in fear from the images inside their mind. If the save succeeds, the opponent can attack normally and is unaffected by that manifestation of the power.

• Critical Success As success, but the creature is frightened 2.
• Success The creature is frightneed 1 for the duration of this spell, and cannot make hostile actions against you for the duration of this spell.
• Failure The creature is frightened 1 for 1 Round
• Critical Failure  The creature is unaffected and temporarily immune for 1 hour.

Heighten Spell: For every 1 level you heighten this spell by, it lasts 1 additional Minute

Walking Nightmare

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Varies

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Resolve

You fill the creature's mind with a terrifying vision out of its nightmares. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the target's Resolve.

If the target is unconscious when you cast this spell on it, it immediately wakes up when hit by this spell, and, if it fails its save, it gains the fleeing condition for 1 round in addition to the effects noted below.

• Critical Success The target is frightened 3
• Success The target is frightened 2
• Failure The target is frightened 1
• Critical Failure The target is unaffected.

Call Darkness

Range: 4 Range

Rote Casting: 2 Actions

Duration: 1 Minute

Target: Close-Range Burst

You create a shroud of darkness that prevents light from penetrating or emanating within the area. Light does not enter the area and any non-magical light sources, such as a torch or lantern, do not emanate any light while inside the area, even if their light radius would extend beyond the darkness. This also suppresses magical light of your darkness spell's rank or lower. Light can't pass through, so creatures in the area can't see outside. From outside, it appears as a globe of pure darkness.

Heightened (4th): Even creatures with darkvision (but not greater darkvision) can barely see through the darkness. They treat targets seen through the darkness as concealed.

Grim Shades

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Instantaneous

Target: All creatures in a Close-Range Cone

Defence: basic Resolve

You call upon the powers of the Bleak Grave, the Domain of Death. A wave of gray mist formed of negative energy spills out from your outstretched hand, briefly taking the shape of a pack of predatory hounds that set viciously on your foes. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the targets' Resolve defence. You deal 2d4 slashing damage and 2d4 void damage to creatures in the area. The shades set upon the vulnerable with greater ferocity: frightened creatures, prone creatures or those taking persistent bleed damage take a –2 status penalty their defence.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, both the slashing damage and the void damage increase by 1d4. 

Malicious Shadow

Range: Close

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Target: 1 Creature

You reshape the darkness around the target into malevolent forms such as rending claws, strangling vines, or dark flames. When you cast this spell, and each round you Concentrate to sustain the spell, the shadow lashes out at the target, and you may make a Darkness Spell Attack check against the target's Amour.

You may take multiple Concentrate actions each round this spell is active, causing additional attacks each time you Concentrate. This spell uses and contributes to your multiple attack penalty. 

The shadow deals 1d10 Void damage, regardless of the form it takes. The shadow cannot make any other type of attack, or other actions, such as tripping or disarming. The shadow doesn't take up space, grant flanking or have any other aspects of a creature. 

Heightened: For every 2 levels you heighten this spell by, both the void damage increases by 1d10. 

Penumbral Disguise

Range: Touch

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Scene

Target: 1 willing creature

You wrap the target in shadows, granting them a +1 status bonus to Stealth checks to Hide while in dim light or darkness. In addition, the shadows mask the creature's features. While the creature is in dim light or darkness, other creatures must succeed at a Seek action against a DC equal to 10+your ranks in the Darkness Sphere to discern details about the target's appearance. For example, without using Seek, other creatures can determine the target's general shape (such as humanoid). Still, they would need to Seek to determine the target's precise appearance or any other identifying information. Creatures with darkvision can still see the target and their features normally. The target's normal appearance is revealed in bright light. 

Variable Spell: This spell can be cast at the following levels: 

2nd: This spell functions as above

4th: The status bonus increases to +2. Creatures with darkvision can no longer discern details about the target while the target is in dim light or darkness without Seeking.

6th: As 4th level, except the status bonus is +3 and creatures without darkvision can't determine even general details about the target while the target is in dim light or darkness unless they successfully Seek the target; these creatures see a vague shadow instead. Even on a successful Seek, they only determine general features, though they can see details on a critical success.

Swallow Light

Range: Close Range

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 minute

Target: 1 source of light

Defence: Basic Dodge

Make a counteract check against the light effect. If you successfully counteract it, you consume the light, drawing it into your body and twisting it into shadows, and, for the next 1 minute, you can breath forth a gout a shadows. This counts as a breath weapon with a range of Close that takes two actions to activate and deals 2d6 Void damage, making a Darkness roll against their Dodge. Once activated, you cannot use the breath weapon again for 1d4 rounds.

Heightened +2: For every two levels you heighten this spell by, increase the damage by 2d6 Void.

True Terror

Range: 3 Range

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 Round

Target: 1 living creature

Defence: Resolve

You cause the target to see horrible visions of future possibilities. Make a Darkness spell attack check against the target's Resolve

• Critical Success The target is frightened 3 and stunned for 2 rounds.
• Success The target is frightened 2 and stunned for 1 round.
• Failure The target is frightened 1.
• Critical Failure  The target is unaffected.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, you can target 1 additional creature

Swallow Light

Range: Close Range

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 minute

Target: 1 source of light

Defence: Basic Dodge

Make a counteract check against the light effect. If you successfully counteract it, you consume the light, drawing it into your body and twisting it into shadows, and, for the next 1 minute, you can breath forth a gout a shadows. This counts as a breath weapon with a range of Close that takes two actions to activate and deals 2d6 Void damage, making a Darkness roll against their Dodge. Once activated, you cannot use the breath weapon again for 1d4 rounds.

Heightened +2: For every two levels you heighten this spell by, increase the damage by 2d6 Void.

Umbral Mindtheft

Range: Touch

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 3 Rounds

Target: 1 creature

Defence: Other

You prepare to steal a broad field of knowledge from another creature, siphoning it from their mind and storing it in a pocket of the Netherworld connected to your own mind. For the rest of the spell's duration, you can use the Steal action to attempt to take ranks in one Intelligence-based skill from a creature instead of Stealing an item. If you succeed at your check to Steal a Intelligence-based skill, you deal 1d6 psychic damage to the target per rank they have in the skill, as the sudden loss of knowledge leaves an aching absence in the target's mind. 

Determine the Intelligence-based skill at random from among those known by the target; on a critical success, you learn what Intelligence-based skills the creature is proficient in and can select the skill rather than choosing at random. If the target has no ranks in any Intelligence skills, you get nothing, but you can continue to attempt to Steal a skill from other creatures for the remaining duration.

The target loses all of its ranks in that Intelligence skill, and you may use their ranks in that skill in lieu of your own, if their ranks are higher. This effect lasts until you next take a long rest or until you are incapacitated, in which case the skill  siphons back into the target creature's mind from the Netherworld, wherever you both may be.

As normal, you can Steal only from a target within your reach. Once you've stolen one Intelligence skill, you can't attempt to Steal more Intelligence skills. If you succeed at your Larceny check, you must take the Lore you stole.

Consuming Darkness

Range: 4 Range

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Instantanious

Target: 1 creatre 

Defence: Basic Armor

You shoot a ray of purest entropy. Make a ranged spell attack. The ray deals 5d6 void damage. If the target is an Outsider or an Astral creature, you deal an extra 5d6 psychic damage.

If the ray passes through an area of magical light or targets a creature affected by magical light, chilling darkness attempts to counteract the light. 

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, increase the Void damage dealt by +2d6, and the damage against outsiders and astral creatures by an extra 5d6 psychic damage.

Consuming Darkness

Range: Close-range emanation

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 minute

Target: enemies in the emanation

Defence: Resolve

Your shadow writhes and spreads out from you, thinking the barriers between the mortal realm and the Netherworld. Make a Darkness spell check against the Resolve defence of all enemies in the area:

• Critical Success The is pulled into the Twilight between the Netherworld and the mortal realm. They take 4d6 Void damage, and are Paralyzed until they succeed at a Shadow check equal to 10+your ranks in Darkness to escape.
• Success The target is bound in cloying ichor and shadows, takes 2d6 Void damage, and is Staggered while it remains in the area.
• Failure: The target partially sinks into the shadow, takes 1d6 Void damage, and is Slowed while it remains in the area.
• Critical Failure: The target is unaffected.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, increase the Void damage dealt by +1d6 to each creature who you succeed against.

Shadow Projectile

Range: Close

Rote Casting: Reaction

Duration: Instantaneous

Target: A projectile attack made by an ally.

Defence: Composure

You create an illusory duplicate of your ally's ranged attack to confuse your opponents. You launch an illusory double of your ally's projectile or spell at the same target, leaving the enemy unsure which attack to avoid. If you hit, the target takes 3d8 psychic damage, depending on its Will save. Regardless of the result of its save, it's temporarily immune to further shadow projectile spells for 1 hour.

• Critical Success As success, but double damage.
• Success The creature is flat-footed against the triggering attack and takes the damage from your illusory projectile.
• Failure: The target is flat-footed against the triggering attack.
• Critical Failure: The target is unaffected.

Heightened (5th): The damage increases by 1d8. 

Wall of Shadow

Range: Close-range

Rote Casting: 2 Actions

Duration: 1 minute

Defence: None

You form a wall of pure darkness in a straight line 2-range long. The wall stands vertically and, if you wish, can be shorter in length. The wall prevents light from passing through and appears as a sheet of pure darkness to creatures observing it. Creatures without darkvision or those unable to see through darkness can't see creatures on the other side of the wall. The wall is too thin for creatures to attempt to Hide in the darkness itself, but creatures can Hide from creatures on the other side of the wall as normal. 

Heightened (5th): The darkness is so deep that even creatures with regular darkness cannot see through the wall. 

Darklight

Range: Close-range burst

Rote Casting: 2 Actions

Duration: 1 minute

Target: Self

Shadows pour forth from your eyes, creating a field of darkness that prevents light from emanating within the area. Light doesn't enter the area; any non-magical light sources, such as as flashlights or lanterns, don't emanate any light while inside the area, even if their light radius would extend beyond the darkness. The spell similarly suppresses magical light of the spell's level or lower.

Light can't pass through, so creatures in the area can't see outside. Even creatures with darkvision can barely see through the darkness; any creatures seen through the darkness are concealed to them. Creatures with greater darkvision can see through the darkness normally.

Creatures who move into the field or start their turn within the field have some of the life and light sucked out of them, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 void damage, with a basic Endurance check against a DC equal to 10+your ranks in Darkness+your intelligence modifier.

When you cast this spell, choose up to four allies in the area to spare from darklight's effects. Until the spell ends, they're immune to damage from darklight spells and can see through darklight (but not other darkness) as though they had greater darkvision.

Umbral Graft

Range: Touch

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: 1 minute

Target: 1 creature

You reflect a spell into a shadowy version of itself, in the process depleting the power of the initial spell. During umbral graft's duration, you can use the Steal action to attempt to abscond with spells affecting a foe instead of stealing an item. If you succeed at your check to Steal a spell, randomly determine a spell affecting the foe that has a target entry. That spell ceases to affect the target, and you can either cause the spell to affect you or store it in your shadow.

If your attempt to Steal was a critical success, you automatically steal the spell if its level is equal to or lower than umbral graft. If it was a success, you automatically steal it if its level is lower than umbral graft. If you succeeded, but the spell's level was too high to steal automatically, you must attempt a counteract check to see if you steal the spell. You know what the spell is as soon as you steal it. If you store it, you can transfer it to a willing creature as a single manipulate action. The spell lasts for its remaining duration, to a maximum of 1 minute, and any time you keep it stored subtracts from its duration normally. The spell gains the shadow trait.

You can't steal other supernatural powers, such as totems or nightmares. At the GM's discretion, you might not be able to steal spells with other unusual modifications to the base spell.

As normal, you can Steal only from a target within your reach. Once you've stolen a spell, you can't attempt to Steal more spells, nor can you choose not to take a spell if you succeed at your Larceny check. When you cast umbral graft, any spells you stole with a previous umbral graft end even if their duration hasn't elapsed. If you're affected by both umbral graft and umbral extraction, you make the choice whether to steal a spell slot, an active spell, or an item each time you Steal.

Shadow Blast

Range: Varies

Rote Casting: 1 Action

Duration: Instantaneous

Target: Varies

Defence: basic Resolve

You open a rift to the Pit, unleashing pure entropic energy against your targets. 

Choose a 1 Range cone, a close range burst anywhere within 4 Range, or a 2 Range line. The blast deals 5d8 void damage to each creature in the area.

Heightened: For every level you heighten this spell by, increase the Void damage by 1d8.

Shadow Siphon

Range: 2 range

Rote Casting: Reaction

Duration: Instantaneous

Target: 1 spell

Exchanging material energy with that of the Netherword, you transform the triggering spell into a partially illusory version of itself. Attempt to counteract the target spell. If the attempt is successful, any creatures that would be damaged by the spell instead take only half as much damage, but the spell otherwise works as normal. Treat your ranks in Darkness as 2 higher for this attempt.