The mana shaper prestige class (commonly called a spellshifter) is rumored to have come from teachings developed during the War of the Pious and the Philosophers. The advanced levels of this prestige class are no longer known among mortals. The only way to advance beyond the third level of the class is to seek tutelage from dromite Elders, certain mighty fey lords, or the gods themselves. Faded dream fragments, memory crystal shards, and piles of dust are all that remain of the research notes and teachings of the original mana shapers.

When she takes the mantle of the mana shaper, the character realizes that magic and psionics – even fey magic – are different manifestations of the same principle. As her studies advance and her understanding of this unity deepens, she understands that all minds sprout from the same foundation from which her power flows.

Mana shapers do not learn new spells or psionic powers, nor do they develop greater physical power. Instead, their advancement gives them a pool of unbiased mana, which they can use to fuel either spells or manifestations. They can also spend spell/ power/ mana points to fuel the features of their class, allowing them to twist humble spells and powers into unfamiliar creations. When the class features refer to an “effect,” it applies equally to a psionic power, or a fey, divine, or arcane spell.

Requirements

Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10 or Knowledge (psionics) 10, and at least two ranks in another skill on this list: Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (eldritch arcana), Knowledge (Dream)

Class Attributes

Hit Die: 1d4

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (arcana) Int, Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points per Level: 2 + INT modifier (3 for me)

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Mana Points	Class Abilities
1st	0	0	0	2	2	Mana Sight 1, Synergetic Knowledge 1, Improved Recoup, bonus feat
2nd	1	0	0	3	6	Psionic Magic, bonus feat
3rd	1	1	1	3	11	Mana Sight 2, bonus feat
4th	2	1	1	4	18	Synergetic Knowledge 2, Worldthought Awareness
5th	2	1	1	4	27	Psychic Awareness, bonus feat
6th	3	2	2	5	38	Guide the Flow 1, bonus feat
7th	3	2	2	5	51	Swift Recoup, bonus feat
8th	4	2	2	6	65	Guide the Flow 2, bonus feat
9th	4	3	3	6	80	Stir the Land, bonus feat
10th	5	3	3	7	96	Embrace the Worldmind, bonus feat

Class Features

All of the following are features of the mana shaper prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: None.

Class Abilities

Bonus Feats: Mana shapers have access to special feats, and improved access to some existing feats. mana shaper bonus feats include all psionic and metapsionic feats, all metamagic feats, and the mana-shaper feats listed below.

Class Ability Descriptions

Mana Sight: Upon becoming a mana shaper, the character grasps the underlying unity of magic and psionics. Any analytic effects (such as Analyze Dweomer) function as though the mana bias lined up, allowing her to easily detect and analyze arcane, divine, and fey magic, as well as psionics. At first level, the character may activate Mana Sight as a supernatural ability at will. This power is the equivalent of casting detect magic and detect psionics simultaneously. At 3rd level, Mana Sight becomes an extraordinary ability.

Synergetic Knowledge: As the character advances in the mana shaper class, she slowly integrates her understanding of magic and psionics. At 1st level, Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (psionics) are synergetic, as are Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device. At 4th level, the same is also true of Spellcraft and Psicraft.

Improved Recoup: As the character advances, her ability to absorb mana improves. The DC of any attempts to recoup mana drops by two for every level in this class, whether drawing from a site or from spellcasting residue. The mana shaper may recoup points from a site even if doing so would exceed the cap for the site. Add the mana shaper’s class level to the effective cap, though such an overdraft “dries out” the place for 1d4 days, reducing the locational mana available accordingly. Any subsequent overdrafts before the site has healed will make this overdraft permanent. (Example: Nikka, a 3rd-level mana shaper, taps a site that could normally yield five points of mana. With a good Concentration check, she could quickly exceed the 5-point cap. She may draw up to 8 points from the site, but that means that the site will only yield 2 points for the next 1d4 days. If over-tapped again during that time, its new cap becomes 2.)

Worldthought Awareness: Upon reaching 4th level, the mana shaper is intuitively aware of mental activity that stretches between individuals. Within a range of 20’ per class level, she may make a Spot check to detect worldthought networks, telepathic bonds (including familiar bonds), mindlinks, sense sharing, and any other mind-to-mind contact (DC 15 if actively communicating, else DC 25). If the character scrutinizes the bond, the DM should make a skill check (usually Knowledge (Dream), Spellcraft, or Psicraft) to see if the character correctly identifies the nature of the link. If the link allows multiple participants, or the mana shaper could create the effect herself, she may “invite herself” into the link. If the link manager resists the intrusion, it may be resolved with an opposed caster/ manifester level check.

Psychic Awareness: The mana shaper’s sensitivity has developed to the point that she can detect far more than most sensitives can. When using her Mana Sight ability, lingering effects can be detected for far longer (hours/days/weeks/months), and can be detected through twice the normal amount of material. Also, she may make a Concentration check to eavesdrop on telepathic communication if one end is within 30’ (DC per effect used). With a move-equivalent action and a Concentration check (DC 30), she may gauge the sanity of another being within 30’, and may make a Heal check to recognize mental maladies.

Guide the Flow: Disrupt or block mana flow for individuals/ area [needs further elaboration]

Swift Recoup: At 7th level, the mana shaper may expend focus to gather ambient mana as if she had meditated for an hour. She may do this up to once a turn.

Stir the Land: Create animae/ spirits or fey [needs further elaboration]

Embrace the Worldmind: Able to attain Divine Rank 0 (or advance, if already Rank 0) [needs further elaboration]

Mana Shaper Bonus Feats

The following feats count as mana shaper bonus feats. Mana shapers may waive some prerequisites for these feats, as specified in the feat descriptions. [move descriptions to feat pages, link to Feats page, specify normal reqs vs. mana shaper reqs, elaborate on some mechanics]

Adjust Duration

The mana shaper can attempt to alter the duration of an existing effect. If she initiated the effect, she may choose to spend the original cost as a free action to extend the duration (as if she had cast it again). If it is an effect she initiated that is not normally dismissible, she may use a move-equivalent action to specify when the effect will end. She may also spend one mana point each round and make a Psicraft/ Spellcraft check (DC 15 + effect level) as a free action to extend the effect one round.

The character can also attempt to change the duration of someone else’s effect. First, she must approach within 10’ of the effect, and harmonize herself to the effect’s pattern with a Psicraft /Spellcraft check (DC20 + effect level) as a standard action. The following round, she may program the effect to end prematurely (move-equivalent action, half the initial cost of the effect), or extend the duration (full action, full initial cost, Psicraft / Spellcraft check DC 20 + level).

Concentrate Effect

Extend execution to raise effective caster level (each unit of time increase = +1 effective level)

Mana Drag

Leaching extra mana from casters/ manifesters in range when they execute effects

Twist Weave

Distort effect on an item with a temporary effect (1), or permanent effect (2)

Greater Quicken

Shorten execution time for a spell or power (two points per unit of time reduced, minimum one)

Coopt Effect

Distort another’s effect during execution

Fey Apotheosis

mana shaper becomes a fey class, Knowledge (Dream) becomes class skill

Universal Counterspell

Any effect can be countered with a successful Spellcraft of Psicraft check, as if the character knew the spell in question.