Thaumaturge

Principle of Sympathy: Like produces like  ≈

Principle of Contagion: Once Together Always Together

Thaumaturgy relies on the contagion principle and uses kinetic energies that it redirects to perform a wide array of magical possibilities. The most basic of the five magics, this involves physical changes in the real world environment. The thaumaturge can move boulders, alter energy flows, change a river's course, etc. Later shapes and forms can be altered and voodoo dolls made. 

Requirements

To qualify to become a thaumaturgist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Feats

Endurance .

Class

Wizard or sorcerer class.

Statistics

Strength of 13 or higher.

Class Skills

The thaumaturge’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Craft (thaumaturgy), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level

2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the thaumaturge prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Thaumaturges gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day

When a new thaumaturgist level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of thaumaturgist to the level of whatever other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a thaumaturgist, he must decide to which class he adds each level of thaumaturgist for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Special Abilities

The most basic of The Five Magics, Thaumaturgy relies on the conagion principle to redirect the power of an energy source for to create real world kinetic effects and, at later levels, alter forms and create voodoo dolls. Thaumaturgical manipulation is physically strenuous and all Thaumaturges are required to have Endurance and a minimum of a 13 of strength. Use of its powers can cause fatigue and exhaustion. The powers of this class are the most versatile of the 5 Magics but being good at specialized tasks other than simple kinetic movements requires practice.

Three things are needed before a thaumaturge can perform a a feat of thaumaturgyc:

• Piece of target—a piece of the target of the thaumaturgy is required. This may be a piece of hair, clothing (if it is worn at that time), blood, or something similar. For advanced efforts, (anything non-kinetic) a replica made with at least 3 different pieces such as a Voodoo Doll must be used.  What happens to the piece happens to the target.
• Energy source—a sufficient amount of raw kinetic energy is needed and consumed in the effort of the spell. The size of the source of energy must be commensurate to the effort attempted.
• Target—a subject is necessary. The range is dependent on the effort but follows the spell usually.

Thaumaturgical manipulations involving telekinetic or levitational effects require a successful concentration check (constitution based) of DC equall to 1 per 25 lbs of weight of target object. 

The ammount of material that can be moved kinetcally is based on the thaumaturges level and his/her strength (thaumaturgy is used as a lever).

Thaumaturgical manipulations not involving telekinetic or levitational effects require a thaumaturgical craft check (see below for Thaumaturgical Techniques) 

Spells can be used to maintain concentration (called tying off) for static kinetic effects (cantrip). The target, direction, or mode of effect cannot be changed when its tied off.

Thuamaturgy is a transmutation effect. Target objects gain no save. Target creatures gain a will save equall to 10 +  level of thaumaturge.

Apprentice. 1st

Minor Levitation. May manipulate small objects at within 5 ft. Acts similarly to a ½ strength levitate spell. Precision is less than perfect and casting time is 1d2 full round actions. 50lb/level/strenth bonus.

Journeyman 2nd

Basic Levitation. At 2nd level, a Journeyman can move larger objects within a twenty foot radius. This acts as a levitate spell with a full round action casting time. 100lb/level/strength bonus

Senior Journeyman 3rd

Advanced Levitations. The Advanced Journeyman begins to master thaumaturgical concepts and may invoke a double-strength levitate spell as a standard action and invoke a feather fall at will (with all three criteria in place). Range is sixty feet and the power source used with be diminished a maximum of ¾ of the source.. 200lb/level/strength bonus

Thaumaturge 4th

Strong in understanding of principles. Kinetic control over an object so manipulated is equivalent to a telekinesis spell within a 120 foot range. Maximum weight that can be manipulated in such a fashion is 5 lb/ lvl / strength bonus

Senior Thuamaturge 5th 

Master Thaumaturge 6th

Thaumaturgical Techniques

Lifting, lowering, moving, heating, cooling, conduction,

Energy Sources

Heat: must be hotter than room temp. Heat does not provide enough energy except for the smallest amounts of movement, used mostly for heating target object

Fire: excellent source of kinetic energy for movement purposes

• 1 normal torch can provide 6,000 ft pounds total
• 1 chendylwood torch can provide 8,000 ft pounds total
• 1 vial burning oil provides 5,000 ft pounds total
• 1 vial of Girru's oil provides 9,000 ft lbs total.
• 1 lb of Girru's coal provides 10,000 ft lbs total but takes 10 min to start up.

Fire Special techniques

• Use of affect normal fires to increase bum rate will add 50% to number of foot pounds available but the source will be consumed entirely in one round.
• Use of phosphorous to increase energy generation is permissible but dangerous: I oz. of phosphorous will add 1,000 ft pounds but has 10% chance of exploding in a 10ft radius causing 2-12 pn+s of damage for each oz.

Running Water: Involve§ the construction of some barriers to the running water from which its resistance is tapped to draw the kinetic energy for thaumaturgical purposes. For each 4x4 barrier running water can provide the following energy: for each 4x4 barrier multiply water speed by 100 to get number of foot pounds/min to hold such a barrier in water requires -a strength check of 12 + 1 for each mph over 5.
 

Winds: involves the construction of a kite or windbreak, for each 3x3 kite may multiply wind speed by 20 to get number of foot pounds/min

The Art of Thaumaturgy consisted of applying the Principles to create a transitory effect. Thaumaturgy produces no lasting magical effects, but can be quite powerful, nonetheless.

The Principle of Sympathy means that to create an effect, we must look for things in nature that resemble or produce that effect and use them. A feather can lessen weight, a bit of honey can sweeten, a splinter of iron can give strength, a bit of lodestone can produce guidance, etc. Most normal materials possess one or more characteristics that can be useful, and the more strongly they possess the characteristic, the more useful the material is in Thaumaturgy.

The Principle of Contagion states that if something is once part of or associated with another thing, it remains indelibly connected to it and can be used to influence that other. Naturally, an actual piece of the target is the best, but there are various degrees of sympathy, ranging from a part of the same item, to a part of the same construct, to a long-associated item, down to something that has been in the presence of the target once. Each will work, which is one of the things that make Thaumaturgy the most general of the Arts. However, the energy required to link the target with the spell is greatly modified by the sympathetic connection available. If you wish to kill a man, for example, you will need much less energy if you have a piece of his hair. If you have only a picture of him, you may need several orders of magnitude more energy to kill him, and if you know only his name, several more. The very simplest thaumaturgical effect, involving the Principle of Sympathy alone, is to move a larger object by moving a small piece of it. This can be a parlor trick, if done with floating balls or scarves, or it can be an act of violent war, if done with a multi-tonne boulder. The difference between the two spells lies only in the energy invested.

The energy for Thaumaturgy comes from the natural world. Most practitioners use fire, as it is commonly available and easy to obtain, but other forms of heat, lightning, lava, etc can be used, depending on the amount required. Simple spells can even be performed using the heat from the caster’s own body, though it is not unknown for young Thaumaturges to kill themselves by overdoing this process.

This need for energy makes Thaumaturgy simultaneously the most powerful and the least powerful Art, and both the most and least complicated to use. A Sorcerer, for example, is limited in his power by how much of his own life force he wishes to expend in a spell, but a Thaumaturge may simply build a bigger fire – quite an advantage! But without a prepared source of energy, the Thaumaturge is limited to what he can do with his body heat, and dare try only the very simplest of cantrips. Similarly, an Alchemist can simply drink a potion to gain an effect, but a Thaumaturge may need to take an hour to prepare a roaring fire to gain enough energy – or may take no time at all, if he has an existing forest fire to work with!

Given the simplicity of the basic principles of Thaumaturgy, why is it not used by everyone? The answer is two-fold. First, there is a basic magical talent necessary. Few possess it, and fewer are trained to use it or channel the forces involved. The second qualification is knowledge of the chants and gestures needed to forge the spell link. Some say these are only a crutch to help the Thaumaturge concentrate while others claim they have intrinsic value, but they are necessary nonetheless. Naturally they (along with the practical knowledge of which materials work best for which properties) are passed from mentors to students and guarded jealously.

In Secret of the Sixth Magic, one of the Principles of Thaumaturgy (most likely the Principle of Contagion, given the substitute's associated aphorism more closely resembles that Principle linguistically) is shown to be replaceable (via Metamagic) by another (unnamed) Principle, with the associated aphorism, 'Same shape, same function.'.