Race: Esper

An esper

The concept of the Esper as presented here is (probably) the property of Square Enix. However, all Trinity-specific background and d20 mechanics are original.

Espers

"Your mortal understanding of the arcane is no match for my own. You study magic; I am magic."

The first recorded appearance of an esper comes from the formation of the Lost, a massive desert covering the northeastern portion of Sarteri. An arcane duel of epic proportions leveled the once-temperate plains there, turning it into a lifeless wasteland. While many of the towns and villages in the region were destroyed, one village - straddling the Rynol River, the boundary-line of the destruction - survived. Its people, however, were changed, their bodies infused with arcane energy.

The elves studied the people of the village, which had been called Esperia, and concluded that the presence of so much arcane energy had caused them to undergo transformations, into something new. The elves called them "espers," in honor of their village, and the name stuck.

Since that time, espers have appeared in lands where magic saturates the very earth itself. Centuries of usage of magic in a region gradually strengthen magic's hold on it, weakening the very laws of physics, and giving rise to the potential for its inhabitants to turn into espers. Almost any race has the potential to yield espers from their number, and there is no known way to foretell if a creature will be an esper: there are warning signs, but only when a given individual reaches the age of maturity does their esper nature make its presence known.

Espers make up a very small minority in the world of Trinity, but their small numbers by no means indicate their impact on the world around them. They are symbolic of the strength of magic, and its ability to overcome the very laws of physics and biology. They are an assurance that, no matter how strong the other Forces of the Trinity of Reality may be, magic is here to stay.

Personality: Erratic and prone to thinking outside the box, espers are not a race to be trifled with. They have a tendency to be free-thinkers and somewhat chaotic in their approaches to life, often refusing to follow rigid structure and instead go their own way. Their innate ability to bend the world to their will tends to make them seem arrogant to others. Some espers grow to appreciate their abilities and not use them frivolously; however, most will use any excuse to make a show of their power. A large number of espers also tend to be individualistic, preferring to work alone rather than with others.

Vital Statistics - Esper
	Aging Effects
	Middle Age	Old	Venerable	Max Age
Age	+2d12 years	+2d12+24 years	+4d12+48 years	+6d12+96 years
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	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	As base creature		As base creature
Female	As base creature		As base creature

Physical Description: As children, espers are largely unidentifiable, save that their hair may be an abnormal color - but even this is not a definite sign of an esper-to-be. Upon reaching puberty (for the appropriate age of their original race), however, the esper's body undergoes massive transformations. While in their "natural state" they retain roughly the same physical appearance of their native race, with wildly- and abnormally-colored hair and eyes and exaggerated features: one cannot mistake an esper for a normal member of their native race.

When under the effects of their arcane transformation, they take on an entirely new appearance, oftentimes appearing to resemble some sort of mythological beast, though some espers retain a roughly humanoid form, if completely unique from their native state. When using the living spell variation of their transformation, espers simply appear as a physical manifestation of the chosen spell: an esper manifesting as a fireball, for instance, resembles a giant ball of flame.

Regardless of their parent races, espers can breed with one another. The resulting offspring are sometimes referred to as "true espers." Such individuals always appear to be in the throes of their arcane transformation, and have no "natural state."

Vital Statistics - True Esper
		Starting Age			Aging Effects
	Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex	Middle Age	Old	Venerable	Max Age
Age	16 years	+1d4	+1d6	+1d8	50 years	100 years	200 years	+2d100 years
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	Base Height		Height Modifier		Base Weight		Weight Modifier
Male	4' 6"		+2d6"		100 lbs.		x(2d4) lbs.
Female	4' 3"		+2d6"		80 lbs.		x(2d4) lbs.

Ethos: Espers vary wildly in their personal beliefs. In general, they tend to cluster their beliefs in Red, Blue, or Green, sometimes mixing two or even all three into a belief structure that puts clever thinking, personal freedom, and the gut instinct above all else. Espers are mixed, as a race, in terms of ethics, and generally lack a unified racial ethos, given that they lack a single, unified culture.

Up to here has been edited.

Esper Lands: Espers have no lands to call home; there are not enough to even warrant a small city if they all gathered in one place, and they have no racial homeland. Espers settle where their parent race did; if that place is not acceptable, they will move on to a nation that at least tolerates the existence of magic.

Religion: Espers almost universally worship the Eidolons; however, they see them more as role models than as actual deities, and many espers aspire to be counted among the ranks of the Eidolons.

Language: With a natural understanding of magic comes a natural understanding of the language of magic - espers who have reached maturity suddenly gain the linguistic skills of a mage who has studied the Arcanic language for years. Beyond that, espers retain the languages they grew up learning.

Names: Espers will sometimes carry their original name, which is wholly dependent on their parent race. However, upon maturity, some espers choose a new name for themselves, that fits their new form.

Male Names: Alexander, Ark, Bahamut, Carbunkle, Ifrit, Kazahuya, Leviathan, Palidor, Ramuh, Terrato.

Female Names: Asura, Eden, Isis, Kirin, Maduin, Phoenix, Terra, Shiva, Sylph.

Adventurers: Espers - being a rarity in the world - often traverse Trinity to gather a more thorough understanding of themselves and of the power they wield. Only through attaining arcane power can they gain a more complete understanding of themselves, and so many espers become adventurers.

Esper Racial Traits (d20)

"Esper" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal humanoid or monstrous humanoid without racial spell resistance.

An esper loses all of their racial abilities from their base race save for size, and instead uses the abilities below. So-called "true espers" consider their parent race to be Medium in size with a 30 foot movement rate.

• -2 Con, +2 Int, +4 Cha. Espers are not physically hardy, but are intellectually quick, and often have a powerful and commanding presence.
• Size equal to parent race's size.
• Elemental: Espers are elementals, not humanoids. As such, they are not affected by spells or effects that normally only affect humanoids. Unlike other elementals, however, they are subject to critical hits and flanking, and they eat, sleep, and breathe normally.
• Espers have a base move rate equal to parent race's base move rate.
• Espers have darkvision with a base of 60 feet.
• Resistances (Ex): Espers have PR and TR equal to their level. These resistances overlap (do not stack) with resistances gained due to class.
• Dispel Vulnerability (Ex): If an esper is the target of a targeted dispel magic or similar effect, she takes potency 2 damage in addition to the spell's normal effects. If she is within the radius of such an effect but is not specifically targeted by it, she instead takes potency 1 damage. . Espers are partially magic, and effects that disrupt magic disrupt her very being.
• Living Arcana (Sp): As a move action, you can spend a healing surge to regain mana equal to your refresh rate, instead of healing.
• Arcane Transformation (Sp): Summoning all of their internal arcane power, an esper can temporarily transform into a living expression of arcane power - either a living spell, or enter their esper form. An esper can use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per five levels (so 2/day at 5th, 3/day at 10th, and so on). Any damage suffered while in these alternate forms is transferred to the esper after the transformation ends.
  • Living Spell: When the esper uses this ability, she chooses a single magic spell. Your size category increases by one. Her unarmed melee attacks cause the creature she hits to be affected by the spell. You can move into space occupied by other creatures; if you do, all creatures whose space you share suffer the effects of the chosen spell at the beginning of your turn. This transformation lasts for 5 rounds.
  • Esper Form: At first level, an esper creatures an alternate form, created using the eidolon rules from Pathfinder (but see below), using her character level as her effective Hit Dice for any and all abilities. The esper may dictate the appearance of her esper form, but once chosen, this cannot be changed. Upon entering the esper form, the esper's ability scores and other abilities change to those of her esper form; while in esper form, she cannot access any of her normal abilities. This transformation lasts for 5 rounds.
• Automatic Languages: As per parent race.
• Favored Class: Choose one - artificer, sorcerer, warlock, wizard.
• LA: +1. Remember that LA can be bought off.

Esper Paragon (d20 Class)

The Esper Paragon
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Mana Die	Caster Level
1	+0	+0	+1	+2	Detect Magic	d2	+1 level of existing casting class
2	+1	+0	+2	+3	Arcane Versatility	d2	+1 level of existing casting class
3	+1	+1	+2	+3	Ability Boost (Cha +2), Esper Apotheosis	d4	+1 level of existing casting class

 

Some espers focus their exploring their innate connection to the Force of Magic. While other spellcasters typically approach Magic from a single angle, esper paragons approach it from many, attaining versatility and depth at the same time.

Esper paragons often have a minimal reserve of arcane power to call upon, even if they have no need for it; while this reserve may not be used for normal purposes, it allows the esper to access other abilities that may require an individual to have a mana pool. In addition, it fuels her ability to be versatile: a young esper can often call upon magic from many different disciplines with little formal training, simply by virtue of the nature of her existence.

Game Rule Information

Esper paragons have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Magic.

Force Resistances: PR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.

Abilities: Intelligence and Charisma are most important for an esper paragon, as these are the abilities that most arcane spellcasting classes uses.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills: The esper paragon's class skills are Concentration (Con), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points: 2 + Int.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: As per rogue.

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp.

Class Features

The following are the class features of the esper paragon class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Esper paragons are not proficient with any weapons or armor.

Spells per Day: At each level, an esper paragon gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a previous arcane spellcasting class (artificer, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard). She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on).

Special: If you are a warlock, these caster levels count as warlock levels for purposes of determining the damage of your eldritch blast ability.

If an esper paragon has no levels in an appropriate class, she instead chooses a single Magic-using class at first level. She gains new spells per day as if she had gained levels in that class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on). If you choose to emulate a warlock, you gain access to the eldritch blast ability, and your esper paragon levels count as warlock levels for determining that effect's strength.

Mana Points: An esper's ability to command magic is partially represented by her mana points. To cast spells, she must expend mana, and when her pool is empty, she cannot cast until she has rested. An esper completely replenishes his mana points after a night's rest.

At each class level, an esper gains additional mana points, as per the table above. An esper rolls for mana points much like a character rolls for hit points. An esper adds her Intelligence modifier to her mana die; as with hit points, later changes in her Intelligence score are retroactive to her mana points.

A character whose first level is taken in esper paragon receives the maximum result for her mana die (just as she receives the maximum result for hit points). A character who multiclasses into esper paragon after first level rolls her mana die as normal.

Detect Magic (Su): At 1st level, an esper paragon can always see magical auras, as though she had cast detect magic.

Arcane Versatility (Sp): Choose two spells of up to 1st level, infusions of up to 1st level, and/or least invocations, and add them to your known list. You can use this ability to gain knowledge of spells, infusions, or invocations that do not appear on your class list, including Magic abilities of other types (thus, if you normally only cast spells, you can learn an infusion, and so forth). If an ability you choose does not have a listed MP cost, its MP cost is equal to (half [spell level + 1]) squared, rounded down; if it is a 0-level effect, it costs 0 MP, but can only be cast while you have at least 1 MP. The abilities you choose need not be of the same type (thus, you could learn one spell, and one infusion).

Ability Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, an esper paragon's Charisma score increases by 2 points.

Esper Apotheosis: At 3rd level, an esper paragon automatically qualifies to take levels in the esper arcantrix prestige class, even if she does not meet its prerequisites.

Add your esper paragon levels to your esper arcantrix levels for all calculations that involve your esper arcantrix level, including abilities from that prestige class that are reliant on class level as opposed to character level.

d20 Eidolon Modifications

Given that Pathfinder does not utilize my casting system, a few changes are required of the Eidolon form that espers can adopt. Consider the following all modifications to those rules. If one of the following rules changes conflicts with Pathfinder's rules, these rules take precedence.

Mana Points: An esper's eidolon form is a manifestation of her inherent magical power, and as such, she can continue to command magic while in it. Her eidolon form has mana points, which she can use to use either her eidolon abilities or her racial abilities, which she retains while in eidolon form.

At each character level, the esper's eidolon form gains an MP Die of d2. An esper rolls for mana points much like a character rolls for hit points. An esper adds her eidolon form's Intelligence modifier to her mana die; as with hit points, later changes in her Intelligence score are retroactive to her mana points.

An esper's eidolon form has maximum MP at first level, just like HP.

Eidolon Form Epic Progression

Eidolon Form Epic Progression
Level	HD	Skills	Feats	Armor Bonus	Str/Dex Bonus	Evolution Pool	Max Attacks	Special
21	16	64	8	+18	+9	27	7
22	17	68	9	+18	+9	28	7
23	18	72	9	+20	+10	29	7	Ability Score Increase
24	18	72	9	+20	+10	31	8
25	19	76	10	+20	+10	32	8
26	20	80	10	+22	+11	33	8	Ability Score Increase
27	21	84	11	+22	+11	34	8
28	21	84	11	+22	+11	35	8
29	22	88	11	+24	+12	37	9	Ability Score Increase
30	23	92	12	+24	+12	38	9

 

Evolution Changes

The following are modified versions of various evolutions found in Pathfinder.

 

Basic Magic (1 EP)

You gain access to a basic magical ability. Choose a single spell of initiate grade from any path (consult the mage class for more details). You gain the ability to cast this spell, using all the same rules as a mage, including MP cost (1 MP for such spells). The eidolon must have a Charisma score of at least 11 to take this evolution. This evolution can be selected more than once. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a new spell.

 

Minor Magic (2 EP)

You gain access to a basic magical ability. Choose a single spell of apprentice grade from any path (consult the mage class for more details). You gain the ability to cast this spell, using all the same rules as a mage, including MP cost (4 MP for such spells). The eidolon must have a Charisma score of at least 13 to take this evolution. This evolution can be selected more than once. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a new spell.

 

Major Magic (3 EP)

You gain access to a basic magical ability. Choose a single spell of journeyman grade from any path (consult the mage class for more details). You gain the ability to cast this spell, using all the same rules as a mage, including MP cost (9 MP for such spells). The eidolon must have a Charisma score of at least 15 to take this evolution. This evolution can be selected more than once. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a new spell.

 

Ultimate Magic (4 EP)

You gain access to a basic magical ability. Choose a single spell of adept grade from any path (consult the mage class for more details). You gain the ability to cast this spell, using all the same rules as a mage, including MP cost (16 MP for such spells). The eidolon must have a Charisma score of at least 17 to take this evolution. This evolution can be selected more than once. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a new spell.

 

New Evolutions

The following are new evolutions available to espers.

 

Enhanced Magic (1 EP)
Your MP die improves one step (from d2 to d4, from d6 to d8, etc). This effect is not retroactive, but does apply for the level at which you take this evolution. This evolution can be selected more than once; each time you select it, increase your MP Die again.