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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Secrets of Magic / Book of Unlimited Magic

Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 210 1.1
The natural vistas of the world are varied and beautiful, and they contain power just waiting to be tapped. From the burning sands of a desert to the freezing tundra of a taiga, from the breathless heights of the tallest peak to the claustrophobic caverns deep underground, each type of terrain holds its own wonders. Geomancy is the study of the magic within these places, and while it has much in common with the primal forces of druidism, it focuses on the specifics of the many types of terrain and how they can resonate within someone who respects those details.

To a geomancer, the world is a living tapestry of magic, woven together in different biomes and ecosystems that each interact with those around them, sometimes working together and other times at cross purposes. A novice geomancer learns to tap into that flow of magic and enhance their castings whenever their magic has a resonance with the surrounding area, but a true master can chain magic to build an artificial resonance cobbled together out of nothing more than their own power and connection to the land.

Geomantic Saturation

Areas of geomantic saturation are rare phenomena wherein either elemental matter or life essence strongly saturate a site or location, granting a unique magical effect. For example, the Crystal Womb deep underground is saturated with earth elemental energy. To represent a place of geomantic saturation, the rules for magical terrain in Pervasive Magic are a good starting point. To a geomancer, these areas also represent a potential source of power and learning. Tapping into or attuning with a saturated area might present a challenge for the geomancer, potentially requiring research or a ritual similar to establish leyline. Successfully attuning to the areas might offer rare spells, feats, or other options for a geomancer to access or even a unique option available only by attuning with that specific saturation.

Types of Terrain

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 210 1.1
Each of the nine fundamental geomantic terrains represents a wide variety of environments and biomes. For instance, the mountain terrain applies to hilly regions, the forest terrain applies to jungles and rain forests, and the swamp terrain includes marshes and bogs. While each of these fundamental terrains isn't homogeneous and offers diverse magical secrets to a geomancer, over time, geomancers have nonetheless developed certain broad associations with each type.

Aquatic Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Rivers course, tides ebb and flow, and water shifts from ice to vapor, all while creatures grow and adapt within the depths. Casting spells in water calls for a free flow of ideas and emotions. Geomantic rituals intended to change one thing to another often take place in aquatic terrain, or in a liminal space between aquatic terrain and another type of terrain, such as a beach.

Arctic Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Icy winds carry crystalline flecks of snow that distort the horizons, and desolate nights bring undulating light shows to the black skies. An arctic environment draws a geomancer toward illusory magic that replicates the splendor and mystery of the sparkling tundras, and to long-lasting protection against the elements.

Desert Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Sandstorms rage as the sun glares down oppressive heat, only to retreat into a frigid night. Life is harsh in the desert, and only the powerful and adaptable survive; the desert's geomantic energies reflect that truth. When the environment is unforgiving, so is the geomancer, who brings forth punishing magic as merciless as trackless stone and sizzling sand.

Forest Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Forest are defined by the thick growth of plants, a canopy of green home to creatures across every stratum from the forest floor to the treetops. All forests, from those of humid ferns to frozen conifers, share growth and creation. This generative power thrives in a geomancer, coming to life in spells that spring vines and thorns or call forth ancient creatures tied to the land.

Mountain Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Mountains reach to the skies above, breathtaking and impassable. They stand ever-vigilant and seemingly outside the passage of time until, over the course of eons, even they crumble. Mountains serve as barriers and thresholds: boundaries between nations and demarcations between lush windward and arid leeward. This role leads geomancers to associate mountains with wards and barriers.

Plains Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
The vast expanse of grasslands represent limitless potential spanning off in every direction. Animals and caravans alike migrate across the plains, but humans and other sapient creatures also settle down and build farms. The openness of the plains calls for spells of the wind, plant cultivation, and fast, effortless travel. A geomancer on the plains feels the vastness within them, stretching as broad as the distant horizons.

Sky Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
The open sky is a soaring realm of freedom and exhilaration. The sky is capricious, reflecting the moods of the firmament and altering those of the creatures that live beneath; its oppressive gray or clear blue evoke different emotions. As night falls, the heavens become a star-flecked wonderland beneath the pale gaze of the moon. The sky opens the geomancer to change and uncertainty, allowing for magic to move physical forms and enchantments to sway minds.

Swamp Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Wetlands cultivate teeming life, though many of the organisms that thrive in swamps can also bring disease. Marshes, bogs, and fens have their own slightly different geomantic properties, but all envelop the geomancer, engulfing the self in gripping mud, murky water, and calls of buzzing insects. The magic of death and rebirth flourishes in the duality of the swamp.

Underground Geomancy

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 211 1.1
Places beneath the surface of the world are home to countless secrets, from the caves just under the surface to deep, dark caverns of progressively increasing mystery and alien splendor. Twisting tunnels block sight but provide ghostly echoes, revealing distant truths to those who can interpret them. Geomancers feel the pull of the mysterious knowledge held deep in the earth, tracing through the ground as surely as mineral veins. Geomancers tap into this force to learn the answers to enigmas long forgotten to those on the surface.