Essence seeks to empower all things it touches, working with life to help it achieve its goals. For those without control, it makes them into something they would never have asked for. For those who master it, it is the gateway to all they could desire.
Height: Varies
Weight: Varies
Environment: Dark Continent
Population: Majority
Base Features (Varies)
Essence Cultivator (Varies): An Essence User has reached out to the essence corrupting their own being, overpowering and mastering the primal power to serve their own will. With this hard-earned dominance, comes a freedom and dominion over their own nature that mana could never provide.
The Essence User chooses any arrangement of Features, which can be added to whenever sufficient FP is available, and gains access to the effects of all Features chosen, as if they had taken those Features. The cost of this Feature is equal to the total FP cost of all Features chosen.
For each 6 FP spent on this Feature, their natural lifespan increases by one decimal point. If they have 42 or more FP in this Feature, they do not age no matter how much time passes.
Each time the total FP in this Feature passes a multiple of 6 (such as when the Feature’s total FP passes 6, 12, 18, est.) they must make a Purity Check (1d12 + their highest Ability Score). The DC is equal to the total FP they have in this Feature. If they fail, they gain the Essence Mutant clan.
Essence Pollution (0 FP): When Essence Users gather to form a meaningful population within a region, the area they inhabit becomes polluted by essence. For each 100 of them living in a square mile, the region gains 1 Essence Point (EP).
Any creature that spends a full rest in a region with at least 1 EP must make a Purity Check (1d12 + their highest Ability Score). The DC for a region is equal to 3 plus the regions total EP. If the creature fails, it gains all Features of the Essence Mutant clan.
For each 6 FP they possess, they count as one more Essence User for calculating a region’s EP. For example, if an Essence User has 12 total FP, they count as two Essence Users. If they have 18 total FP, they count as three Essence Users.
Optional Features
Deathless Body (10 FP): The Essence User can restore themselves from anything short of total destruction. Unless their body is vaporized or similarly destroyed, they are immune to the Death Damage Condition.
Mind Over Mind (8 FP): Some Essence Users develop the skill to dominate the minds of those around them, controlling other creatures like puppets. As three actions, they can touch a creature and make a Dominate Check (1d6 + Smart Ass) against the creature’s Emotional Armor (6 + Smart Ass).
If their Dominate Check is higher, the creature gains the Dominated Damage Condition for one hour per Smart Ass. A creature with the Dominated Damage Condition obeys any commands given by them, but is capable of working against them as long as it does not go against any command.
Each hour, a creature with the Dominated Damage Condition may make a Bad Ass Check (1d12 + Bad Ass) against their Emotional Armor. If it succeeds, the Dominated Damage Condition is removed. Creatures immune to mental tampering cannot have the Dominated Damage Condition.
For 4 additional FP, the creature gains the Dominated Damage Condition for one full rest per Smart Ass and can only make a Bad Ass Check to remove the Damage Condition after a full rest.
For -4 additional FP, a creature with the Dominated Damage Condition may make a Bad Ass Check against their Emotional Armor whenever it is given a command. If it succeeds, it does not need to obey the command, and they cannot give another command for 24 seconds.
Vitality (8 FP): As twelve actions, the Essence User can remove all Damage Conditions only affecting their physical body.
For 4 additional FP, all Damage Conditions only affecting their physical body are removed after 24 seconds, even if no actions are taken.
Revise Memory (6 FP): As twelve actions while touching an unconscious creature, the Essence User can alter ten minutes per Smart Ass of the creature’s memories, adding, altering or removing them. Creatures immune to mental tampering cannot be affected by this Feature.
Bigger Ass (4 FP): One of the Essence User’s Ability Scores increases by +1. This Feature can be taken repeatedly for different or the same Ability Score. This cannot raise an Ability Score over 12.
Flash Step (4 FP): The Essence User can defy the physical limitations of movement, virtually teleporting over significant distances. As an action, they can move to any location they can see and physically fit within.
For 2 additional FP, they can teleport to any location they are reasonably aware of, such as locations they have already been or have had clearly explained to them.
Flight (4 FP): The Essence User can move in three dimensions, flying 10 feet faster than their ground speed.
Siphon (4 FP): When the Essence User enters combat with a creature, they may remove Damage Conditions from themselves proportionate to the Damage Conditions they cause during the combat. The Damage Conditions removed or altered are at Game Master discretion. This does not function on creature’s without souls, such as Invaders.
Storage (4 FP): As an action, the Essence User can store away any item they can easily carry on their own in a non-dimensional realm, allowing them to carry a potentially infinite amount of random junk. They must be touching the item.
This means that they cannot store an entire building, unless they are strong enough to carry the building, but they could pick up and store every individual brick that composed that building.
Heal (3 FP): As twelve actions while touching a creature, the Essence User can remove one Damage Condition only affecting its physical body. They cannot remove Death.
For 5 additional FP, they can remove the Death Damage Condition, provided the creature’s soul has not become a Shade. Using this Feature requires them to touch the target, so they must have some form of remains to target in order to return the dead. Since they must spend actions to use this Feature, they cannot normally use it to return from the dead themselves.
Magical Talent (3 FP): The result of Casting Checks is increased by 1. This Feature can be taken multiple times, its effects stacking upon themselves.
Martial Artist (3 FP): The Essence User increases the results of Kick Ass Checks to contribute to the Combat Kick Ass of their side by 1. This Feature can be purchased repeatedly, increasing the results by 1 each time.
Tough (3 FP): The Essence User increases the results of Bad Ass Checks to contribute to the Combat Bad Ass of their side by 1. This Feature can be purchased repeatedly, increasing the results by 1 each time.
Extra Body (2 FP): The Essence User has an additional body. This second body is treated as a separate creature controlled by their mind and sharing their Features. All their bodies have separate actions, but expend uses of limited use Features as a single creature. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, providing an additional body each time.
Erosvore (2 FP): When the Essence User engages in a sexual act with another creature, they may remove one Damage Condition from themselves and give the creature the Drained Damage Condition.
Drained reduces functional Kick Ass and functional Bad Ass by 1, reducing all dependent factors accordingly. Whether a given Damage Condition can be removed or altered is at Game Master discretion.
Essence Mage (2 FP): The Essence User can use the essence from their own body and the environment around them to construct external essence patterns that act upon the world as they will. For each 6 total FP they possess, they gain 1 Essence Point (EP) each full rest. In addition, they passively gain 1 EP an hour per EP in the environment. They can store 10 EP per Smart Ass.
They can spend EP to perform impossible feats. To do so, they define what they want to happen. The Game Master determines the DC and EP cost. They pay the EP cost and make a Casting Check (1d12 + Smart Ass). If the check succeeds, the feat happens. Even if it fails, they still lose the EP. This is treated as a Magic Feature.
For 4 additional FP, they no longer need to spend EP to make Casting Checks.
For 2 additional FP, they can spend EP to boost Casting Checks. For each 2 EP spent to boost a Casting Check, the result increases by 1. Checks can be boosted after they are rolled, but not after the result is narrated.
Sanctum (2 FP): The Essence User creates a personal pocket realm of their design, accessible to them as a refuge from the world. The realm can be restructured over a full rest. However, it cannot be larger than 10 cubic feet per Smart Ass and any material created as part of the realm cannot be removed from it.
As twelve actions, they can transport themselves and any items or creatures they are carrying to the realm or from the realm to their previous location.
Objects originating from outside the realm can still be removed, even if altered within it. A creature capable of inter-realm travel can leave the realm or enter the realm if it has a way to locate the realm.
Invisibility (2 FP): As an action three times per full rest, the Essence User can become invisible for 10 minutes per Smart Ass. Being invisible increases the results of Checks to remain unseen by 4d4.
For 2 additional FP, they can use this Feature on creatures they touch.
For 4 additional FP, this Feature can be used at-will.
Telekinesis (2 FP): The Essence User can control objects with the force of their mind alone. Within 10 ft. per Smart Ass, they can interact with objects and creatures as if their physical body was affecting the object or creature.
Universal Language (2 FP): The Essence User has the low grade psychic ability to sense the meanings of other’s words and convey their own meanings. This doesn’t actually let them speak or know languages they have never learned.
Instead, when they hear the words of a creature, the meaning of the words bypasses the physical words and goes directly from the creature’s language center to their language center. Likewise, their words are directly conveyed to any creature hearing them.
This lets them understand, and be understood by, any creature with a concept of language. Since the meaning goes directly to the mind, idioms and grammar are reflexively translated. They cannot use this to understand recorded language, such as written language or audio recordings.
Unliving (2 FP): The Essence User’s body requires food, water, air and sleep to function, but does not require them to live. When they would die from the absence of one of these resources, they instead fall unconscious until the missing resource is returned.
In addition, if they would die from a toxin, pathogen or similar ailment, they instead fall unconscious for a full rest. After this full rest, they awake completely cured of the ailment effecting them. Likewise, taking a full rest while effected by such an ailment, whether life threatening or not, will cure them of the ailment after the full rest.
Arcane Specialization (1 FP): The result of Casting Checks to achieve a specific variety of effects is increased by 1. An example of such a variety of effects would be healing and flesh shaping, scrying on events or magic object creation. This Feature can be taken multiple times, its effects stacking upon themselves.
Arch Mage (1 FP): When the Essence User makes a Casting Check, another creature within 10 ft. per Smart Ass can make a Casting Check to increase their Casting Check. For every 6 of its Check, including increases from Magical Talent or Arcane Specialization, the result of their Casting Check is increased by 1.
The creature must use the same number of actions to perform its Casting Check as them, and any number of creatures can aid a single Casting Check. The effects stack.
For 2 additional FP, aiding creatures increase the Casting Check by 1 for every 2 of the creature’s Casting Check.
For another 3 additional FP, aiding creatures increase the Casting Check by the results of their own Checks.
Disease Immunity (1 FP): The Essence User cannot have Damage Conditions caused by pathogens, being incapable of contracting diseases.
Essence Sight (1 FP): The Essence User may make a Sight Check (1d12 + Smart Ass) to attempt to see non-physical aspects of reality.
For 1 additional FP, the results of their Sight Checks are increased by 1. This extra cost can be paid repeatedly, increasing Sight Checks by 1 each time.
Essentiavore (1 FP): The Essence User can utilize the essence from their own body and the environment around them to sustain their flesh. For each 6 total FP they possess, they gain 1 Essence Point (EP) each full rest. In addition, they passively gain 1 EP an hour per EP in the environment. They can store 10 EP per Smart Ass.
As twelve actions, they can spend 1 EP to replace the need for food and drink until their next full rest. This Feature can remove the need to eat and drink, provided 1 EP per full rest is spent. At Game Master discretion, other resources needed by their biology may be replaced by essence.
For 2 additional FP, spending EP on this Feature also removes one Damage Condition only affecting the physical body per EP spent, not including Death. This allows them to remove Damage Conditions only affecting the physical body, but does not remove the need to eat, drink or sleep for longer than until the next full rest.
For 1 additional FP, spending EP on this Feature also removes the need to sleep for one full rest. They may still meditate for one hour to gain the effects of a full rest.
For 1 additional FP, spending EP on this Feature also removes any Damage Condition from disease, pathogen or toxin affecting them. This allows them to remove multiple afflictions within the same full rest, but does not remove the need to eat, drink or sleep for longer than until the next full rest.
Flesh Sculptor (1 FP): As three actions while touching a creature, the Essence User can alter a creatures physical form as they wish. They can change the creature’s Height, Weight, anatomy and biological processes appropriately. This does not provide Features or mechanical changes, unless the Game Master rules that the addition or removal of a zero FP Feature is appropriate.
Hive Mind (1 FP): The Essence User can spend an hour touching a willing creature to make a mental link between them and it. The link allows both of them to communicate telepathically over any distance.
As an action, either the Essence User or the creature can break this link. Any creature they have a link with can communicate with any other creature they have a link with, but a creature can only break its own link, not the links of others. If they die, all the links stop functioning, but are reestablished if they return to life.
Normalcy (1 FP): The Essence User has a low grade distorting effect on the minds of those around them, obfuscating anything suspicious about them.
Wherever they go, creatures will automatically assume that they belong there, without considering the implications of their presence. A creature will not question their presence on its own, but can still question if others do.
Likewise, any creature will ignore behavior or events relating to them that should cause concern, unless those events actively effect or threaten the creature. This Feature only works on events that are strange, not those truly suspicious in a manner the creature can understand. Creatures with minds immune to outside tampering are not effected by this Feature.
Perfect Memory (1 FP): The Essence User is physically incapable of forgetting knowledge once it is learned. Any sensory input that has ever entered their mind is perfectly recorded and can be retrieved and experienced at any time as it was when first received. This makes it impossible for them to forget or lose quality from any experience.
As an action, they can go back to any point in their limitless memory and study the sensory input from that point. While doing this, they can make Checks to study their senses at the time as they would if present at that time and place. This might let them spot details they missed the first time or process information they weren’t paying attention to at the time.
Likewise, they never need to make Checks to remember past events, regardless of possible distractions.
Recuperate (1 FP): The Essence User’s cultivation base quickly and easily heals their body. After a full rest, they can remove one Damage Condition only affecting the physical body, not including Death. Whether a given Damage Condition can be removed or altered is at Game Master discretion.
See Darkness (1 FP): At-will, the Essence User can touch themself or another creature and provide the ability to see in any level of darkness as if it were fully illuminated. Each creature effected retains this ability until it finishes a full rest.
Skilled (1 FP): The Essence User is good at a particular skillset. When they make a roll to do something related to that skillset, they can add 1d4 to the result.
This Feature can be taken for multiple skills, at the same cost each time. It can also be taken repeatedly for the same skill, adding another 1d4 to that skill’s Checks. If taken for the same skill, the cost of taking it again is 1 higher each time.
For example, if they take this Feature once for Checks to observe their surroundings and once for Checks to persuade other creatures, each would cost 1 FP, for a total of 2 FP. However, if they take it twice for observing their surroundings, gaining 2d4 to such Checks, it would cost 1 FP the first time and 2 FP the second time, for a total cost of 3 FP.
Aura (0 FP): As an action, the Essence User can project the awareness of one or more aspects of their existence. Any creature within 10 ft. per Smart Ass or capable of observing them can instinctively sense the magnitude of whatever they are projecting. They can stop projecting as an action.
For example, they may want to project the number of creatures they have killed, causing any creature affected to instinctively sense the rough magnitude of creatures they have killed. They can project anything they want, but the resulting affect on creatures must be accurate to the truth of the thing projected, meaning they could not project a false number of kills. This does not give clear information or cause a specific reaction from other creatures.
Nascent Servitor (0 FP): Knowingly or as a byproduct of their cultivation, the Essence User has solidified their cultivation base into physical form within their body.
Their cultivation is housed within an egg the size of their heart within them. It cannot be removed, containing their being and killing them if cut out of their body. If destroyed, the egg will reform after an hour, as per the Servitor clan’s Immortality Feature.
Upon death, their body will rapidly rot away, leaving the egg exposed. A month later, they will hatch from the egg as a Servitor Infant, with all base Features of the Servitor clan and without this Feature. This is treated as an Immortality Feature.
Anathema (-1 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation gives them a sinister presence. Creatures interacting with them or their actions find them abnormally suspicious, being reluctant to dismiss any suspicions and inclined to investigate. Creatures immune to mental tampering cannot be affected by this Feature.
Byslexia (-1 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation makes it difficult for them to read. After reading more than 100 per Smart Ass words in one sitting, they must take a turn doing nothing but recuperating. Attempts to impress people in a way that requires reading are rolled twice, and they use the lower roll.
For -1 addition FP, they cannot read at all.
Slow (-1 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation reduces their Speed to 1 ft.
Vice (-1 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation gives them a weakness in their psyche that is difficult to resist. Any Check made to play on that weakness has its result increased by 1d4. The weakness is chosen when this Feature is taken.
Oath Bound (-2 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation makes them incapable of breaking an oath once they have knowingly given it. This only applies to the meaning and contents of the oath that they were aware of at the giving of the oath, not possible reinterpretations of wording.
Likewise, situations that involve agreeing without knowing all implied details, such as signing a contract without reading the fine print, do not enforce anything but what they thought they were agreeing to.
For 2 additional FP, any creature they make a deal with is compelled to uphold its side of the deal, being affected as they are. This cannot affect creatures immune to mental tampering. However, if the creature does not uphold its side of the deal, they do not need to uphold their end.
For -2 additional FP, any form of oath is binding, regardless of what they thought they were agreeing to.
Fragile (-3 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation reduces the results of Bad Ass Checks to contribute to the Combat Bad Ass of their side by 1. This Feature can be purchased up to twelve times, reducing the results by 1 each time.
Inept Combatant (-3 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation reduces the results of Kick Ass Checks to contribute to the Combat Kick Ass of their side by 1. This Feature can be purchased up to twelve times, reducing the results by 1 each time.
Mute (-3 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation gives them no way to communicate with other creatures.
Crux (-4 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation has made their body susceptible to a particular material. If they would lose a Damage Condition caused by this material, they must make a Check for each Damage Condition removed.
If the Damage Condition is being removed by a Feature that innately removes Damage Conditions from them (such as Recuperate or Vitality), they must make a Bad Ass Check (1d12 + Bad Ass) to remove the Damage Condition.
If the Damage Condition is being removed by an effect from outside them (such as Heal or a Healing Potion), the source of the effect must make a Smart Ass Check (1d12 + Smart Ass) to remove the Damage Condition. If the effect is not from a creature, the Game Master determines its functional Smart Ass for the purpose of this Check.
If the Check is greater than six plus their Bad Ass, the Damage Condition is removed. This Check must be individually attempted for each Damage Condition caused by the material that they try to remove. The Game Master is encouraged to adjust the cost of this Feature based on how practical the material is as a threat.
Smaller Ass (-4 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation undermines their body or mind. One of their Ability Scores is reduced by 1. This Feature can be taken repeatedly for the same or another Ability Score. This cannot reduce an Ability Score below 1.
Sympathetic (-4 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation makes them incapable of willingly giving another creature the Death Damage Condition, unless it is specifically for a goal other than the full death of the target.
For example, they couldn’t kill a creature by cutting its throat, but they could if the knife was enchanted to trap the creature’s soul so it could be transferred to a new body that lacked some debilitating disease the previous body possessed.
Sabbath (-6 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation gives them the Dormant Damage Condition during a specific day of the week (or a similar period). Dormant has the effects of the Unconscious Damage Condition, but is removed after the period ends.
Hunger (-8 FP): A flaw in the Essence User’s cultivation drains their vital essence. Each full rest, their functional Bad Ass reduced by 1, reducing factors dependent on Bad Ass accordingly.
If their Bad Ass would become 0, they instead gain the Frenzy Damage Condition. Frenzy reduces the results of Smart Ass Checks by 6. Frenzy can only be removed by Features that remove Damage Conditions by consuming other creatures (such as Siphon or Erosvore).
Each time they use a Feature that removes Damage Conditions by consuming other creatures, their functional Bad Ass increases by 1, up to their normal Bad Ass. They do not need to have a Damage Condition to remove in order to increase their functional Bad Ass.
Essence Wraith (-10 FP): The Essence User lost their physical body, but managed to maintain the cohesion of their cultivation base. They cannot touch or effect physical matter, damage creatures or use Features that would require them to have a physical body. They are still unable to pass through solid objects, even if they cannot apply force to such objects.
Note: Think of it as being made out of smoke.