Ley Lines

Ley lines are channels of mystic energy which can be found anywhere in Creation, but are best-known and most utilized on the Material Plane.

Originally Posted by MythMage of the Dicefreaks forums.

On this Thread

Ley energy is the power of the planes. Concentrations of it can influence the space they occupy (producing surprising and unique magical effects related to their origin), and can be tapped by creatures to empower themselves (especially to perform magic related to the energy’s source). Many ley lines have no obvious effect on their surroundings and go unnoticed by creatures that traverse them, other than those who are well-versed in the matters of ley magic.

Ley Line Basics

Lines may be of many different sorts, and differently types energy may even originate from the same source. Ley energy is not restricted by space, and any number of lines and nodes may occupy the same space. Such lines are interacted with separately. The four types of ley line are elemental, essential, material, and spiritual. These types in turn are divided into subtypes; each line has exactly one type, but may have many subtypes. Only elemental ley lines must have subtypes; material lines never have them. Ley lines are also distinguished by how powerful they are. A ley line may have one of eight grades, as follows: trace, faint, mild, moderate, strong, major, intense, and primal. The highest grade is reserved exclusively for nodes; each is a thing of incomparable power and exclusive rarity. There is no more than one primal node on any plane. The only such node on the Material Plane is located in Glasonbury, a primal material node whimsically named the Lifeline of the Tree of Life by the fey. Additionally, there is said to be a vast primal node located deep in the heart of each Elemental Reality. Grade and size are unrelated, though sometimes a powerful line or node is nested within a larger, weaker one.

Lines are usually between 25 and 250 feet across, and many miles long, though mile-wide lines around faults are well-known and smaller lines can also occur. Lines are sometimes much taller than they are wide, but are also often cylindrical. They can also be widely diffuse; every plane is permeated almost completely by trace essential energy, and each of the Material, Outer, and Inner Planes are permeated with trace amounts of their matching ley energy. Other shapes are rare, but a line can be of any dimensions at all. Conversely, very powerful lines are also known, but rare. The highest grade of line, intense, is especially rare and impossible to produce by any but the greatest Powers.

Ley energy can also be focused into points, which are called ley nodes. All effects and rules which apply to lines apply to nodes as well unless noted otherwise. Nodes are usually spherical or cylindrical, but may be any shape at all. Ley lines sometimes form spontaneously between nodes which share a type and subtype. Nodes are the most likely areas to produce magical effects on their own because they are, as a whole, more powerful than lines. A node always has a grade greater than or equal to the strongest line that joins it. There is usually only a handful of each type of major node on each world. An intense node is even less common; there is very rarely more than one on any mortal world. Typically, a world will have one intense material node which is linked to an identical node occupying the same position in Annwn. These intense nodes in Annwn are in turn connected directly to the primal node of Glasonbury.

Trace Nodes

In addition to geographical nodes, there are also tiny trace nodes of ley energy infusing creatures, objects, and souls. Almost every soul, creature, and object native to a given plane contains trace amounts of energy matching that plane. For example, every native of the Reality of Fire contains a trace amount of elemental (fire) energy. Almost every aligned magic item and every creature with an unusually strong alignment aura (such as a cleric) contains trace amounts of spiritual energy. Almost all significantly pure matching phenomena contains a trace of elemental energy. Almost everything from within the Cosmos contains a trace of essential energy. Note, though, that this energy is generally impossible to utilize or affect (in part due to the fact that these nodes rarely extend beyond the surface of an object or beyond a creature’s skin) except as noted otherwise. The ley energy of souls, known to many as incarnum, can be affected in the form of essentia by those who have essentia pools, or in the form of meldshapes by those who have a meldshaper level.

Interplanar Lines

Lines that continue from one plane to another are extremely rare, with the exception of those responsible for planar vortexes. Most of the time, a line on a given plane is not connected to any particular point in the parent plane (the plane from whence the line’s energy comes, such as the Reality of Fire for an elemental (fire) line), but merely to the parent plane as a whole. Even a line that is connected to a particular point, via a portal between the Reality of Fire and the Mortal Coil for instance, does not extend onto the parent plane in most cases (instead, a node associated with the given plane might form on the parent plane from the portal, such as a material node forming on the Reality of Fire in the previous example). Finally, note that lines not matching the plane itself are rare on planes other than the Prime Material.

Effects of Time

Ley lines often shift and change over time as the source of the line changes. For instance, a ley line follows a river. The river then becomes dammed. If the line originated from the river itself, this would cause the ley line to change its path. If the line were caused by the life in the river, the dam might not cause the line to change much if the dam causes living things to take up residence where the river used to flow.

Ley energy is a little like electricity which seeks the path of least resistance in that ley energy is most stable when it coincides with geographical features related to its type; such lines shift less often. Nodes created by sources other than junctions of lines are usually immobile. Lines that are anchored (see Geomantic Structures, below) can’t shift away from the point(s) at which they are anchored. Ley lines pass seamlessly between Annwn and the Mortal Coil, and the location, grade, and type of most lines and nodes are identical on both of these two layers of the Material Plane. Finally, ley energy can flow independently of physical barriers. As they follow their source or stretch toward a matching node, they might pass through air, soil, water, magma, or even the emptiness of space.

LEY LINES AND RELATED SPELLS

Sometimes spells can be made to interact with the energy of ley lines, but only if the spell is related to a line’s type. For instance, the Ley Adept feat can allow one to increase the caster level of a related spell. For these purposes, a spell is related to a ley line if its school, subschool, or descriptor matches the line’s subtype, or if it can be found in a domain whose name which matches the line’s subtype. See the description of each ley line type for notes on other ways spells can be related to various lines. For instance, the druid spell Earthquake would be related to an essential (earth) line, an essential (evocation) line, a spiritual (destruction) line, a spiritual (earth) line, an elemental (earth) line, an essential line without a subtype, and a material line. The cleric spell Holy word would be related to an essential (evocation) line, a spiritual (good) line, and a spiritual or essential line without a subtype.

SPECIAL PROPERTIES

Most ley lines cause creatures within them to have their perceptions slightly altered in a way related to the line. For instance, a spiritual (repose) line in a graveyard may cause those who pass by to feel slight pangs of sorrow for no apparent reason. An essential (abjuration) line might cause a feeling of security. These effects are subtle, but are more powerful among lines of higher grades. They rarely have any mechanical effect.

Many lines produce magical effects; trace lines virtually never do, but as grade increases so does the probability of the line having a special effect. Primal nodes always have special effects, and very potent ones at that. These special effects are always related to the line’s nature. For instance, a spiritual (suffering) line might affect all those who enter as if by crushing despair. A spiritual (neutral) line might replicate the calm emotions spell. All ley line effects, even those which replicate spells, are supernatural unless noted otherwise. They don’t manifest outside the line, but effects within the line can have repercussion’s outside. (An Earthquake inside an earth line, for example, will likely extend outside the area.)

The standard save DC for the effects of a ley line is based upon its grade, as are the typical effective spell level and caster level of the effects. Note, however, that since these are unique effects, all three variables often differ from one line to another (even if both are the same grade). These trends (as well as the probability that a line will have any effect at all) are noted on the table below.

Ley Line Special Effect Guidelines
Line Grade	Likelihood of producing effect	Save DC	Spell Level	Caster Level
Trace	1%	10	0	3rd
Faint	4%	12	1st	6th
Mild	10%	14	2nd	10th
Moderate	25%	18	3rd	15th
Strong	45%	22	5th	20th
Major	70%	26	7th	25th
Intense	90%	30	9th	30th

Some common special properties are described below, with more specific examples provided in the description of ley line types.

Caster Level Bonus: Related spells and spell-like abilities gain a geomantic bonus to caster level, typically +1 at faint grade, +2 at moderate, and +3 at major.

Faerie Roads: These are supernatural teleportation effects which do not use transitive planes. One of these roads can turn anything which passes through into energy, channel it along ley lines, and reconstitute it elsewhere in the ley line system. Faerie roads occur only in material ley lines. Examples of this phenomenon include the crossroads and backroads found in Toril. Faerie roads are more common on powerful, narrow lines that cross long distances.

Fey Oases: These locations are created by minor fey nobles with the intention of ensnaring foolish mortals. Most of these nobles are rather unusual and extremist members of the Seelie mortal-helping faction, seeing the transmutation of mortals as healing them of their mortal flaws. That the process leaves its victim chained to the oasis is of no concern; it is simply the way things work, no more cruel than binding a dryad to her tree. They travel by way of the material ley lines between Annwn and the Mortal Coil, and appear only in material ley lines of grade mild or greater.

Grims: Some ley lines of mild or greater grade spawn fey creatures known as grims. Occasionally weaker lines will have one, if the grim was spawned when the line was stronger. Grims guard the lines that spawned them and cannot leave them for long. The racial Hit Dice of a grim is linked to the grade of its parent ley line, as detailed in the creature’s description. Grims normally appear only in lines at least 75 feet wide. They occur only on the Material Plane.

Incarnum Locations: The ley lines which produce these sites often produce emotions stronger than usual for their grade.

Magical Locations: Magical locations as described in Dungeon Master’s Guide II (page 235) and Complete Mage (page 144) form spontaneously from relevant ley lines. Virtually all magical locations are tied to ley lines. Generally, a magical location can form or be created only if it is worth no more than the value indicated on the table below for a line of that type.

Maximum Magical Location Value by Line Grade
Line Grade Maximum	Magical Location Value
Trace	500 gp
Faint	2,000 gp
Mild	8,000 gp
Moderate	32,000 gp
Strong	128,000 gp
Major	512,000 gp
Intense	2,050,000 gp
Primal	Unlimited

Planar Traits: Sometimes, a ley line linked to another plane (on the Material Plane, these are spiritual and elemental lines) can cause one or more traits of that plane to take effect within the ley line. This is best known in planar bleeds (see Altering Ley Lines, below). In addition, many of the traits of the various planes in the multiverse are produced by the ley lines inherent to each plane (elemental lines in the Elemental Realities, material lines in the Material Plane, and so on).

Signs of the Apocalypse: Signs of the apocalypse (see Elder Evils, page 7) are greatly feared ley line special effects that always accompany elder evils. Note that ley lines can sometimes produce signs of the apocalypse without an elder evil present and without growing stronger over time.

Spell-like Effects: Most often these are long-duration area spells such as hallow which last as long as the line does. Much of the time, these effects can be permanently ended with simple dispelling, but removing them does not affect the line that spawned them. Other common effects are emotion-based spells such as good hope which affect either all those who enter the area or all those of a certain alignment (depending on the nature of the line, as always). These effects often, but not always, follow the guideline given earlier in this section.

Touchstone Sites: Some ley lines can allow their energies to be tapped and carried away; lines with this property are known as touchstone sites (PlH 153, Sand 54, MoI 207). Making use of this option requires the Touchstone (Sand 53) or Planar Touchstone (PlH 41, MoI 207) feat.

Common Effects by Grade

Below are listed common special effects based on the grade of the ley line. These effects may be produced by any type of ley line, provided it is of sufficient grade. See descriptions of these effects above or where appropriate (Dungeon Master’s Guide, Magic of Incarnum, and Stormwrack are referenced). Lines can produce effects weaker than normal for a line of that grade (or, of course, no effects at all).

Trace: None.

Faint: +1 caster level, incarnate earth (MoI 204).

Mild: Dolmen circle (MoI 203), grim (6 HD; Material Plane only), maelstrom (minor) (Storm 13).

Moderate: +2 caster level, deadsand (MoI 206), enhanced magic trait (related spells augmented up to one spell level (enlarge; extend)), grim (15 HD; Material Plane only), Maelstrom (major) (Storm 13), midnight grove (MoI 205), soulclamor forest (MoI 206).

Strong: Enhanced magic trait (related spells augmented up to two spell levels [empower; or enlarge and extend]), grim (24 HD; Material Plane only), Maelstrom (greater) (Storm 13), soulless waste (MoI 206), wildsoul zone (MoI 206).

Major: Enhanced magic trait (related spells augmented up to four spell levels [empower, enlarge, and extend; enhance; extend and widen; maximize and enlarge; or quicken]), grim (33 HD; Material Plane only), Maelstrom (immense) (Storm 13), +3 caster level.

Intense: Enhanced magic trait (related spells augmented up to seven spell levels [enhance and widen; enlarge, enhance, and extend; intensify; or maximize and quicken]), grim (42 HD; Material Plane only).

LEY LINE ENCOUNTERS

In general, the more powerful a ley line is, the more attractive it is to powerful creatures with an interest in its source or an affinity for its special properties. Thus, a ley line is often a good place to find monsters and NPCs of a stronger breed than the surrounding region. Below is a guideline for the level of encounters typically found within or near ley lines of each grade.

Ley Line Encounter Levels
Line Grade	Average Encounter Level
Trace	1/8-3
Faint	3-5
Mild	5-8
Moderate	8-13
Strong	13-18
Major	18-23
Intense	23-30+
Primal	31+

DETECTING LEY LINES

All ley lines of grade moderate or higher can be detected with a Wisdom check or possibly the Perception skill. Usually, lines of grade trace to mild can only be sensed with Perception (and only if one possesses the proper Knowledge).

Additionally, certain spells may also reveal the presence of a ley line. detect evil reveals evil-subtyped lines; similarly, good, lawful, and chaotic lines can be detected by the appropriate detection spell. The grade of the line determines the strength of the aura, as noted on the table below.

Alignment/Aura Strength
Line Grade	Aura Strength
Trace or faint	Faint
Mild or moderate	Moderate
Strong or major	Strong
Intense or primal	Overwhelming

While ley lines themselves do not show up under Detect Magic, all their spell-like (and some supernatural) special effects do.

GEOMANTIC STRUCTURES

Geomantic structures can anchor ley lines so that they change less. They can also make it easier to make skill checks involving a ley line. Anchoring a ley line with a geomantic structure requires the use of the anchor ley line incantation (see the Incantations section). If multiple ley lines coexist at the location of the structure, each must be anchored with a separate ritual. Nodes can anchor lines on their own without any ritual, so many builders prefer to simply find such a node and use it with less or no special preparation.

Within a geomantic structure, a dowser may take 10 on any skill check relating to an anchored line, even if he is threatened. Particularly large and complex geomantic structures can also provide a bonus on skill checks relating to anchored lines.

Geomantic Structure Sizes
Structure Size	Examples	Skill Check Bonus
Simple	Single little menhir, up to 10 tons	+0
Big	Single great menhir, up to 100 tons	+2
Complex	Church, dolmen, megalithic circle or line, temple	+4
Very Complex	Great cathedral, greater megalithic circle, major temple, pyramid	+6

LEY LINES AND THE SKY

Astronomical phenomena which relate to a ley line’s source cause the ley line to grow more powerful. During the event, the line’s strength increases by one grade, to a maximum of major (or for nodes, intense). It also offers a +10 circumstance bonus on skill checks made in relation to the line. Sometimes, the line can gain an additional effect during the event; often a material line gains a portal linking Annwn to either the Mortal Coil or Ladinion.

LEY LINES AND SOULS

Although soulstuff and ley energy are not identical, they bear striking similarities and seem to be deeply connected. Indeed, soulstuff appears to be the medium through which mortal emotions affect and are affected by ley energy. Additionally, the transition of souls seems to be the most efficient way to manipulate ley energy – a death or birth is always more likely to have an effect than a creature simply inhabiting an area. Finally, there is personal ley energy (called incarnum) suffusing every soul.

ALTERING LEY LINES

Ley lines be altered (including being created or destroyed) by any number of events, locations, and inhabitants relevant to its type and subtype (if any). Below are noted some well-known kinds of ley energy producers and disruptors, along with suggested probabilities that a source will affect ley energy. These probabilities are only loose guidelines; it is recommended that a DM decide whether a source will have an effect, rather than determining randomly. Reduce the probability of affecting a given ley line by half (after any modifiers noted below) if that ley line is anchored by a geomantic structure (see Geomantic Structures, above). There is no known way to create, alter, or destroy a primal node, even for greater Powers.

Elder Evils: Certain forces which have the potential to destroy the world are known as elder evils. These and a select few other forces produce or are accompanied by catastrophic manifestations known as signs of the apocalypse (as noted in Special Effects, above). Signs of the apocalypse usually play havoc with a world’s ley line system. In fact, they are themselves ley line special effects produced by virtue of the elder evil’s influence on the world, an influence that is often exponentially stronger than a being of similar personal power would normally have. An elder evil cannot avoid its accompanying signs by any means.

For instance, the undead world known as Atropus (EE 16) emanates four nested ley nodes of the elemental (negative) and spiritual (evil) types; the outermost of these is moderate grade, then strong, then major, then intense. The outermost node extends thousands of miles from Atropus’s surface, reaching its target worlds long before it does; as each new layer of the node reaches the world, the next sign of the apocalypse manifests.

Incarnum: Since incarnum itself is a form of ley energy, incarnum-based effects are among the most active producers of more permanent ley energy (epic incarnum effects have a 5% chance of altering ley lines), and incarnum locations never appear without a ley line or node.

Mortal Actions: Certain significant actions taken by any being can affect ley lines. These include casting powerful spells, altering ecosystems or geography, and erecting certain kinds of structures such as temples. Any ley line of grade major or lower can be disrupted by being tapped very frequently or by producing its special effect with unusual frequency. The probability of ley lines being altered, created, or destroyed by any given event is roughly 3%.

Nonsentient Forces: Some events not under the direct control of any sentient being can create or affect ley energy. These include tectonic movement, volcanic activity, elemental vortexes, and ecological changes. Within the Material Plane, healthy ecosystems produce material ley lines; within the Elemental Realities, dense elemental energies create elemental ley lines; and within the Realms Beyond, Concentrations of belief create spiritual ley lines. The probability that such an event has an effect on ley energy is roughly 30%.

Planar Bleeds, Planar Breaches, and Manifest Zones: Especially ley-active, virtually all planar bleeds (MotP 220), planar breaches (PlH 151), and manifest zones (ECS 94) are mediated by ley lines. The bleed, breach, or zone creates a ley line (or node), and the ley line (or node) produces the effect(s) of the bleed, breach, or zone.

Supernal Power: The actions of gods and other Powers can create or disrupt ley lines because of the sheer power they wield. There is generally a 3% chance, plus 1% per rank of the entity, that its appearance, its death, or the use of its supernal abilities will spawn or alter a ley line. Unlike other Powers, Void entities rarely generate or augment existing ley lines. However, they do usually disrupt existing ley lines, using the same probability as other Powers.

The supernal realms of Powers other than Void entities are all valid sources of ley energy (it is rare for such sites not to include nodes). The ruler of such a realm gains a +4 circumstance bonus on skill checks regarding lines and nodes in the realm. In addition, a Power can reshape ley lines in the realm as part of his ability to change the metaphysical traits of his realm. A lesser Power can attempt to create, alter, or destroy ley lines that exist at least partially in her realm. Possible alterations include changing a ley line’s special effect(s) to anything appropriate to its grade and type, modifying its grade, or altering its shape. A Power can only affect one ley line at a time, can make only one change at a time, and cannot alter, create, or destroy a ley line with a grade higher than a maximum determined by her strata: Lesser = strong, Intermediate = major, Greater = intense. A void entity can reshape, diminish, or destroy a line but not create or amplify one.

LEY LINE TYPES

Below are descriptions of the four types of ley energy, their possible subtypes, and additional ways spells can be related to those types of lines. Also described are features which commonly appear on these lines after they have been created, or which the lines move to coincide with. Each type notes what forces can disrupt and weaken lines of that type, indicating in parentheses the strongest line that can be disrupted by each means. Finally, for each type and grade of line or node (other than primal nodes, which are unique), there are examples of what sorts of events or locations can generate it, followed by what sorts of effects it has been known to generate. Only sometimes (DM’s discretion) does a qualifying location have a ley line as strong as suggested (and only sometimes does a ley line produce effects as strong as suggested, if any at all).

Sources used: Cityscape (supernatural city hazards, pages 32-33, and zeitgeist, pages ), Complete Champion (holy sites, pages 150-158), Complete Mage (magical locations, pages 143-156), Complete Psionic (psionic locations, pages 115-117), Complete Scoundrel (legendary sites, pages 142-152), Drow of the Underdark (magical locations, pages 186-190), Dungeon Master’s Guide (planar traits, pages 148-150, 168), Dungeon Master’s Guide II (magical locations, pages 235-250), Elder Evils (signs of the apocalypse, pages 7-10, 17, 33, 49, 65, 81, 97, 114, 129, 145), Expanded Psionics Handbook (psionic powers and caller in darkness, pages and the SRD), Frostburn (magical frostfell terrain, pages 15-16), Heroes of Horror (dread effects, pages 68-69), Magic of Incarnum (incarnum locations, pages 203-207), Manual of the Planes (planar anomalies, pages 220-221), Monster Manual II (spirit of the land, pages), Player’s Handbook II (rebuild quest sites, pages 199-206), Sandstorm (supernatural waste hazards, pages 20-26), Stormwrack (supernatural sea hazards, pages 13-14), and The Gates of Hell (spiritual wounds, pages 6-9).

Elemental

Elemental ley energy is tied to the Elemental Realities. These lines sometimes result from portals or vortexes to the Elemental Realities, or powerful elemental magic. In the Elemental Realities, elemental lines occur much like material lines do on the Material Plane (these extraplanar lines are the source of several planar traits).

Subtypes: Air, ash, cold, dust, earth, electricity, fire, magma, mineral, negative, ooze, positive, radiance, salt, smoke, steam, vacuum, and water.

Related Spells: See below for notes on which spells are related to ley energy subtypes which are not spell descriptors. Spells which create or alter the named element are always related (such as flesh to salt, which is related to salt, or sunburst, which is related to radiance).

• Ash: spells with the darkness descriptor or which extinguish fire
• Cold: spells with both the air and water descriptors
• Dust: disintegrate and similar spells
• Magma: spells with both the earth and fire descriptors; spells which heat earth or metal, such as heat metal
• Mineral: note that metals count as minerals
• Ooze: spells with the acid descriptor, or both the earth and water descriptors
• Radiance: spells with the light descriptor
• Salt: spells which dehydrate (such as inflicting desiccation damage)
• Smoke: spells which inflict poison directly or create inhaled poison; spells with both the air and fire descriptors

Common Features: Localized high points (air), deep and constricted caverns in dense rock (earth), volcanoes (fire), wastelands (negative), vibrant forests (positive), and massive amounts of pure water (water).

Disrupted By: Anything which can produce an opposed ley line, dimensional lock (moderate; outside Elemental Realities only).

EXAMPLE SOURCES AND EFFECTS BY GRADE

• Trace
• Sources: One or a few deaths in one event, a large pond or lagoon, a stream, a small deposit of rare ore such as cold iron, any pure manifestion of an element, a creature or object native to the Elemental Realities, long-term exposure of related 1st- to 2nd-level spells.
• Effects: Frost, stabilize.

• Faint
• Sources: The deaths of several creatures in one event, long-term exposure of related 3rd- to 4th-level spells, lesser planar binding an Inner Planes native, a moderate-sized lake or river, a small deposit of mystical ore such as adamantine or silver, a large deposit of rare ore such as cold iron.
• Effects: Appalling fecundity (faint) (EE 9), Black Sand (Sand 20), endure elements, energon (MotP 186, PlH 119), heart of stone (DMG2 243), heart of wind (DMG2 243), leech salt flats (Sand 22), obscuring mist, razor ice (Frost 16), shadowsand (Sand 25).

• Mild
• Sources: The deaths of many in one event, planar binding an Inner Planes native, major currents in a large lake or river, a large deposit of mystical ore such as adamantine or silver, long-term exposure of related 5th- to 6th-level spells, a minor planar breach from an Inner Plane (PlH 152), a dormant minor tectonic fault.
• Effects: Acid sleet (Frost 14), acid slush (Frost 15), appalling fecundity (moderate) (EE 9), death hail (Frost 14), dry winds (faint) (EE 9), ember of dragonfire (DMG2 238), emergent caldera (CP 117), furnace wind every 1d4 weeks (Sand 22), Gust of wind, heart of flame (DMG2 241), heart of ice (DMG2 242), lightning pillar (Frost 16), red sea (Sand 25), Resist Energy, snow geyser (Frost 16), supernatural water (false life), twisted life (faint) (EE 97), water breathing, Wind Wall.

• Moderate
• Sources: The deaths of hundreds in one event, greater planar binding an Inner Planes native, a major current of a very large lake, massive river, a dormant major tectonic fault, a dormant volcano, a minor planar bleed from an Inner Plane (MotP 220), a peripheral ocean current, long-term exposure of related 7th- to 8th-level spells, a severe planar breach from an Inner Plane (PlH 152).
• Effects: Appalling fecundity (strong) (EE 9), devil dune (Sand 20), dry winds (moderate) (EE 9), elemental-dominant trait, everflame (DMG2 239), impeded magic trait (opposing spells), mild tectonic activity, minor energy-dominant trait, necrocarnum bog (MoI 205), nightstone (HoH 69), Palace of Burning Ice (CC 154), restless dead (faint) (EE 17), rust flurry (Frost 14), rustsnow (Frost 16), salt mummy (MM3), skyberg (Frost 26), supernatural water (air walk or elemental body I for matching element), twisted life (moderate) (EE 97), wall of fire, wall of ice.

• Strong
• Sources: The deaths of thousands in one event, an active volcano, an active minor tectonic fault, a major current of a gulf or sea, long-term exposure of related 9th-level or stronger spells, a complete planar breach from an Inner Plane (PlH 153), a major planar bleed from an Inner Plane (MotP 220), a small elemental vortex.
• Effects: Acid fog, animate objects (each minute, there is a 5% any given object animates), appalling fecundity (overwhelming) (EE 9), brilliant abyss (PH2 205), central spiral (PH2 205), dark abyss (PH2 204), dry winds (strong) (EE 9), elemental weird (Frost 125, MM2), flamestorm (Sand 21), limited magic trait (no opposing spells), major energy-dominant trait, restless dead (moderate) (EE 17), supernatural water (elemental body III for matching element, flesh to stone, or stone to flesh), twisted life (strong) (EE 97).

Major

Sources: The deaths of many thousands in one event, an active major tectonic fault, a major ocean current, long-term exposure of related epic spells, a large elemental vortex.

Effects: Dry winds (overwhelming) (EE 9), incendiary cloud, restless dead (strong) (EE 17), reverse gravity, supernatural water (elemental body IV for matching element, giant form II for form with matching subtype, Iron Body, Temporal Stasis), twisted life (overwhelming) (EE 97).

Intense

Sources: The deaths of countless thousands in one event, an active supervolcano, massive elemental vortexes creating a new world within Terra, the death of a greater archomental.

Effects: dire winter (ELH, Frost 107), fimbulwinter (Frost 93), a planar rip to the Negative Energy Plane (MotP 221), restless dead (overwhelming) (EE 17).

Essential

Essential ley energy, the power of the Cosmos itself, is tied to magic in general and is the most widely useful kind. It is most attractive to arcanists due to its versatility and their inability to get significant use out of most other lines. Such a line may result from catastrophic magical accidents, powerful spells (especially those with costly components or which cause many deaths), or other instances of magic. Essential energy also occurs naturally, and so can form ley lines out of the diffuse magical energy which fills virtually all parts of Creation. Essential ley lines and nodes beyond the trace energy suffusing Creation do not often occur naturally, though, curious anomalies in the Weave known as sparks are a sort of naturally-occurring essential ley node, whereas the Weave itself is a trace essential line.

Subtypes: All spell schools, subschools, and spell descriptors.

Related Spells: All spells are related to an unsubtyped essential line.

Common Features: Lairs of monsters with magical abilities (especially dragons, fey, magical beasts, and outsiders), settlements of people skilled in magic.

Disrupted By: mage’s disjunction (moderate), dispel magic (area dispel) (trace), greater dispel magic (area dispel) (mild), epic spells developed with the dispel seed (area dispel) (major or intense), long-term occupation by large numbers of aberrations (32 total HD for trace, 80 for faint, 160 mild, 400 moderate, 1000 strong, 2500 major, 5000 intense), soulbanned zone (MoI 104) (moderate).

EXAMPLE SOURCES AND EFFECTS BY GRADE

Trace

Sources: The Multiverse, or any creature or thing native to it (especially dragons, fey, magical beasts, and outsiders), long-term exposure of related 1st- to 2nd-level spells, wall of incarnum (MoI 105).

Effects: Dancing lights, ghost sound, supernatural water (Detect Magic).

Faint

Sources: A lesser dragon ally (SC 72), champion’s crown (CS 143), long-term exposure of related 3rd- to 4th-level spells, a common magical laboratory, a small deposit of mystical ore such as adamantine or silver, more than 1 pound of quintessence (XPH), the lair of a young true dragon, the residence of common fey.

Effects: Alien skies (faint) (EE 9), champion’s crown (CS 143), dragonheart tomb (DMG2 238), Feather fall, heart of stone (DMG2 243), heart of wind (DMG2 243), leach salt flats (Sand 22), rainbow falls (CM 152), , silent image, supernatural water (enlarge person or reduce person).

Mild

Sources: Astral hospice (SC 17), Dragon Ally (SC 72), long-term exposure of related 5th- to 6th-level spells, court of thieves (CS 144), the lair of a young adult true dragon, the residence of mid-level fey, a large deposit of mystical ore such as adamantine or silver, highest spire (CS 147), invoke magic (LoM 212), iron wyrm vault (CS 149), a minor planar breach from a Transitive Plane (PlH 152), more than 30 pounds of quintessence (XPH), a small-scale but powerful magical experiment, a large magical laboratory, otyugh hole (CS 151), a small school of magic.

Effects: Alchemical fog (City 32), aversion (XPH), black mold (City 33), court of thieves (CS 144), dragonsblood pool (CM 149), ember of dragonfire (DMG2 238), heart of ice (DMG2 242), iron wyrm vault (CS 149), lightning pillar (Frost 16), metamagic storm (CM 151), minor image, necropolis of dread (DMG2 246), negation snow (Frost 16), otyugh hole (CS 151), psigate (CP 117), soulheart glade (CM 154), supernatural water (alter self into random or pre-determined shape), utter dark (DotU 190).

Moderate

Sources: Awaken Construct (SC 21), greater dragon ally (SC 72), long-term exposure of related 7th- to 8th-level spells, the tower of a high-level wizard prolific in magic experiments, the lair of a mature adult true dragon, a fey mound, a large school of magic, a fey court ruled by lesser gentry, unusual magnetic fields (local scale), more than 160 pounds of quintessence (XPH), a minor planar bleed from a Transitive Plane (MotP 220), a severe planar breach from a Transitive Plane (PlH 152), wish.

Effects: Alchemical rain (City 32), alien skies (moderate) (EE 9), arcane pollution (City 32), Bigby’s tomb (CM 143), boneyard (CM 146), cloudseat (CM 147), crystal node (CP 116), dispel magic, eternal vortex (CM 150), faerie frost (Frost 15), hallucinatory terrain, haste, Invisibility Sphere, necrotic miasma (City 33), Palace of Burning Ice (CC 154), permanent image, quintessence (XPH), rainbow pattern, restless dead (faint) (EE 17), seal of binding (faint) (EE 81), slow, solid fog, supernatural water (bestow curse, remove curse, or tongues), vale of smoke and fog (CM 155), worldmeet glade (CM 156).

Strong

Sources: A powerful lich’s tomb, long-term exposure of related 9th-level or stronger spells, the resting place of a minor artifact, the lair of an ancient true dragon, the site of a great battle between very high-level mages, a fey court ruled by powerful gentry, unusual magnetic fields (national scale), more than 1 ton of quintessence (XPH), a complete planar breach from a Transitive Plane (PlH 153), a major planar bleed from a Transitive Plane (MotP 220).

Effects: Alien skies (strong) (EE 9), animate objects (each minute, there is a 5% chance any given object animates), cloudkill, dead magic zone, false vision, globe of invulnerability, greater dispel magic, guards and wards, mirage arcana, permanency, permanent image, programmed image, psychic turmoil (XPH), restless dead (moderate) (EE 17), seal of binding (moderate or strong) (EE 81), supernatural water (Break enchantment, contact other plane, flesh to stone, form of the dragon I, polymorph into random or pre-determine form, stone to flesh, or true seeing), Wall of Force, wild magic.

Major

Sources: The death of a flight of dragons, the lair of a great gold wyrm, a Mythal, Castle Greyhawk, an epic lich’s tomb, long-term exposure of related epic spells, unusual magnetic fields (planetary scale), a cataclysmic battle between an epic mage and a lesser archfiend, more than 12 tons of quintessence (XPH), a miracle worked by a demigod or lesser god of magic, the court of a lesser archfey, the destruction of a major artifact.

Effects: Antipathy, alien skies (overwhelming) (EE 9), greater psychic turmoil (XPH), mind blank, necrocarnum bog (MoI 205), Phase door, prismatic wall, restless dead (strong) (EE 17), scintillating pattern, screen, seal of binding (overwhelming) (EE 81), sympathy, supernatural water (form of the dragon III into random or pre-determined form, insanity, polymorph any object into random or pre-determined form), a time loop (MotP 221).

Intense

Sources: The death of an intermediate or greater deity of magic, the court of a greater archfey, an epic ritual spell with a caster level of 35th or higher.

Effects: Genius loci (ELH), restless dead (overwhelming) (EE 17), supernatural water (Foresight).

Material

Material ley energy is the raw power of nature and the Material Plane as a whole. Fey call it the lifeblood of the Tree of Life. The healthy functioning of nature encourages these lines. Fey use material ley lines to a great extent. All portals to Faerie occupy at least a faint ley line or node, and many times the portal’s strength matches the line’s grade. Powerful nature-based magic – such as an epic druid spell – can also generate material ley energy. On planes beyond the Material, material ley lines are found emanating from powerful druidic magic, from those few mortal ecosystems on the planes, or from portals to the Material Plane.

Subtypes:
None.

Related Spells: Spells cast by druids, rangers, and other characters who derive power from nature are related to a material line, as are spells which encourage or augment plant, animal, vermin, magical beast, or fey life.

Common Features: Fey settlements, standing stones, natural springs, localized high points, particularly huge or ancient trees, and verdant roses.

Disrupted By: Animate dead (trace), civilization (see below), create undead (mild), create greater undead (moderate), dimensional lock (moderate; outside Material Plane only), long-term occupation by large numbers of aberrations and/or undead (32 total HD for trace, 80 for faint, 160 mild, 400 moderate, 1000 strong, 2500 major, 5000 intense), and climates being severely affected by other sorts of lines (intense; on the Material Plane only; see Ley Scarring, below).

Civilization: Material ley lines are usually inhibited by the encroachment of civilization. Lines caused by natural sources rarely exceed a limit determined by the amount of sentient settlement to be found in the area. However, communities built carefully to avoid harming nature (such as many elf and gnome communities) are less disruptive and in rare cases can even increase the grade of material lines.

Limiting of Material Ley Lines by Civilization
Level of Development	Example Resident Human Society	Average Maximum Line Grade
Pristine	None	Intense
Wild	Hunter-gatherers	Major
Settled	Agricultural village	Strong
Civilized	Small town	Moderate
Heavily civilized	Large town, small city	Mild
Industrialized	Large city, metropolis	Faint

Ley Scarring: To have an unusual number of major and intense lines and nodes in a world often wreaks havoc with the natural order and can precipitate the end of the world. Most often, such a calamity is the result of too much elemental or evil energy coming from great vortexes or fiendish invasion. The world may be permanently scarred, its material lines crippled, which can lead to the end of the world. This scarring can also become malignant, spreading through ley lines to other worlds and into Faerie. If ley scarring becomes malignant, the fey of the world become gravely concerned and will never fail to act upon the threat. Many will evacuate to Ladinion, while powerful Seelie usually attempt to reverse
the damage and powerful Unseelie may attempt to stop the cancer by destroying the world outright.

EXAMPLE SOURCES AND EFFECTS BY GRADE

Trace

Sources: The Material Plane and any native creature or object (especially fey and plants), long-term exposure of related 1st- to 2nd-level spells, plant growth (increase yield function).

Effects: dancing lights, lullaby, Purify Food and Drink, slight fertility (x1.25 crop yield, +25% chance of conception), spirit animal (Frost 155), supernatural water (virtue), worm infestation (faint) (EE 129).

Faint

Sources: A low-level druid‘s grove, long-term exposure of related 3rd- to 4th-level spells, a trivial migration route, the residence of minor fey, a sedge, a sparse wood, a major current in a typical lake, frog god’s fane (CS 145), a fen, rich loam, common grassland.

Effects: Cavestalker formation (DotU 188), endure elements, entangle, faerie fire, fey ring (minor) (DMG2 42), frog god’s fane (CS 145), Goodberry, longstrider, moderate fertility (x1.5 crop yield, +50% chance of conception), razor ice (Frost 16), rimefire ice (Frost 80), supernatural water (speak with animals).

Mild

Sources: A mid-level druid‘s grove, long-term exposure of related 5th- to 6th-level spells, a small migration route, a typical forest, a marsh, a swamp, a bog, a peripheral temperate ocean current, a major current in a very large lake or temperate gulf/sea, a healthy stream, a minor planar breach from the Material Plane (PlH 152), otyugh hole (CS 151), vibrant grassland, a petrified forest, the residence of mid-level fey, an undisturbed graveyard, very rich loam.

Effects: Aversion (XPH), bloodstone field (HoH 69), fey ring (moderate) (DMG2 42), garden of nature’s rage (DMG2 240), great fertility (x2 crop yield, +100% chance of conception), horrid blight (faint) (EE 10), howl of the north (Frost 14), slumber sand (Sand 26), stormfire (Storm 14), supernatural water (barkskin or Lesser restoration), worm infestation (moderate) (EE 129).

Moderate

Sources: A high-level druid‘s grove, dense forest, a typical migration route, a major current of an arctic or tropical gulf/sea, gate to the Material Plane, a peripheral arctic or tropical ocean current, a mangrove forest, a site of very frequent natural wildfires, an elephant graveyard, a fey mound, the residence of powerful fey, a jungle, a great swamp/marsh/bog, a minor planar bleed from the Material Plane (MotP 220), a fey court ruled by lesser gentry, a severe planar breach from the Material Plane (PlH 152), long-term exposure of related 7th- to 8th-level spells, Vale of Dead Trees (Sand 60), a small coral reef.

Effects: devil dune (Sand 20), eerie weather (faint) (EE 65), exceptional fertility (x4 crop yield, +300% chance of conception), faerie frost (Frost 15), fey ring (major) (DMG2 42), garden of resplendent hues (DotU 189), horrid blight (moderate) (EE 10), phantom voices (Sand 24), razor ice (Frost 16), razor sleet (Frost 14), rust flurry (Frost 14), rustsnow (Frost 16), supernatural water (Beast Shape II into random or pre-determined shape, Contagion, Neutralize poison, poison, remove disease, restoration, or speak with plants), wailing waste (Sand 26).

Strong

Sources: Doldrums, a major temperate ocean current, a great virgin forest, a complete planar breach from the Material Plane (PlH 153), a major planar bleed from the Material Plane (MotP 220), a fey court ruled by powerful gentry, long-term exposure of related 9th-level or stronger spells, a time wrinkle (MotP 221), a vibrant coral reef, the route of a large migration.

Effects: Aurora polaris (Frost 11), awaken 1d3 animals or plants every 1d6 weeks, eerie weather (moderate) (EE 65), the entrapping trait (MotP 211), horrid blight (strong) (EE 10), ironwood, paradisaical fertility (x8 crop yield, +700% chance of conception), spirit of the land (bound to line) (MM2), supernatural water (animal growth, Beast Shape IV into random or pre-determined shape, commune with nature, plant shape II into random or pre-determined shape, stoneskin, or Stone Tell), worm infestation (strong) (EE 129).

Major

Sources: A major arctic or tropical ocean current, long-term exposure of related epic spells, an epic druid‘s grove, the route of a massive migration, the realm of a lesser archfey, densest centers of old rainforests and great coral reefs, an exceptionally large and vibrant river, verdigris tsunami.

Effects: Antipathy, eerie weather (strong) (EE 65), a time wrinkle (MotP 221), unearthly fertility (plants sprout in minutes, crops can be taken weekly, conception is almost certain), supernatural water (heal, plant shape III into random or pre-determined shape, or regenerate), sympathy, worm infestation (overwhelming) (EE 129).

Intense

Sources: The court of a greater archfey, unusual interaction of planets and other celestial bodies (typically gravitational), a great river teeming with exceptional life in the most ancient of primeval forests.

Effects: Eerie weather (overwhelming) (EE 65), genius loci (ELH), horrid blight (overwhelming) (EE 10), supernatural water (Foresight), supreme fertility (any seed touching soil instantly sprouts, harvests can be taken daily, scattered tree seeds may [DM’s discretion] produce a verdigris tsunami effect).

Fresh Water Sources as Ley Energy Sources

Fresh water, vital as it is for survival, is one of the most commonly-sought material energy sources by dowsers. A natural fresh (not salt) water source’s ley energy potential depends upon the surrounding climate, as noted below. If the water is teeming with unusual amounts of life, its grade may increase by one step.

Material Line Grade by Fresh Water Source
	Line Grade by Climate
Water Source	Dry	Average	Wet
Floodplain	Mild	Faint	Trace
High groundwater	Mild	Faint	Trace
Natural spring	Moderate	Mild	Faint
Pond or lagoon (small)	Mild	Faint	Trace
Pond or lagoon (large)	Moderate	Mild	Faint
River (above or below ground)
small stream	Mild	Faint	Trace
moderate	Moderate	Mild	Faint
large	Strong	Moderate	Mild
very large	Major	Strong	Moderate

Spiritual

Spiritual ley energy is tied to the Outer Planes. These lines can be created by events which involved strong emotions and ideas from a large number of people, such as a martyr’s death. Mortal emotions are more effective in this manner than are emotions of other beings; it is theorized that this is due to mortal souls’ strong affinity for the Outer Planes. Spiritual ley energy can also result from portals to the Outer Planes, powerful aligned magic, or divine intervention. In Eberron, manifest zones are a type of large-scale spiritual ley node. In the Outer Planes, spiritual lines occur much like material lines do on the Material Plane (they are the source of several planar traits).

Subtypes: All clerical domains.

Related Spells: Spells cast by clerics, paladins, and other characters who derive power from belief are related to an unsubtyped spiritual line.

Common Features: Holy sites.

Disrupted By: Anything which can produce an opposed ley line; consecrate (trace; evil only), desecrate (trace; good only), dimensional lock (moderate; outside Outer Planes only), hallow (faint; evil only), unhallow (faint; good only).

EXAMPLE SOURCES AND EFFECTS BY GRADE

Trace

Sources: A healed spiritual wound, a small deposit of rare Outer Planar minerals such as aurorum or Ysgardian heartwire, a small mundane chapel, a small graveyard, the Outer Planes and anything native to them, long-term exposure of related 1st- to 2nd-level spells, bestow curse.

Effects: bleed, lost 1st-level commoner (MoI 182), Purify Food and Drink, soulspark (least) (MoI 197), stabilize, stunted plants, supernatural water (virtue).

Faint

Sources: The calling of a least devil, long-term exposure of related 3rd- to 4th-level spells, frog god’s fane (CS 145), a large deposit of rare Outer Planar minerals such as aurorum or Ysgardian heartwire, a mundane temple, a small consecrated chapel, a small frystalline deposit, a typical cemetery.

Effects: Bless, bussengeist haunt (CS 142), demonic serpent infestation (faint) (EE 114), doom, frog god’s fane (CS 145), a spiritual wound (least devil), soulspark (lesser or standard) (MoI 197), watchpost of vigilance (DMG2 249).

Mild

Sources: The calling of a lesser devil, Bestow Greater Curse (SC 27), long-term exposure of related 5th- to 6th-level spells, cold forge of Moradin (CC 152), a hallowed temple, Heward’s hall (CS 146), a large frystalline deposit, a minor planar breach from an Outer Plane (PlH 152), a mundane cathedral, a large necropolis.

Effects: Abyssal blackgrass (HoH 68), anarchic spring, axiomatic spring, blood of the Spider Queen (DotU 187), blood moon (faint) (EE 50), bloodstone field (HoH 69), calm emotions, cold forge of Moradin (CC 152), consecrate, demonic serpent infestation (moderate) (EE 114), desecrate, ebony ice (Frost 15), font of delights and sorrows (DotU 189), gentle repose, haunting trap (DMG2 43), Heward’s hall (CS 146), holy spring, icegaunt (Frost 141), incarnum wraith (MoI 180), necropolis of dread (DMG2 246), scare, , a spiritual wound (lesser devil), soulspark (greater) (MoI 197), supernatural water (aid, Lesser restoration, or remove paralysis), terrible cyst (DMG2 248), undetectable alignment, unholy spring, zone of truth.

Moderate

Sources: The calling of a greater devil, the Gates of Dawn (PH2 200), long-term exposure of related 7th- to 8th-level spells, a hallowed cathedral, a haunted cemetery, a minor planar bleed from an Outer Plane (MotP 220), Palace of Burning Ice (CC 154), the home temple of a lesser god’s high priest, a severe planar breach from an Outer Plane (PlH 152), the Temple of the First Dawn (CC 157), a typical manifest zone (ECS 94), gate to an Outer Plane, miracle with costly material components.

Effects: Blood moon (moderate) (EE 50), blood snow (Frost 15), blood snow blizzard (Frost 14), a caller in darkness (XPH), a casurua (DCom 181, DR210), confusion, crushing despair, dead calm (Storm 13), fear, the Gates of Dawn (PH2 203), good hope, last stand of the Ironsworn (DMG2 244), lost nymph barbarian (MoI 182), lost site (MoI 204), the mildly aligned trait, Palace of Burning Ice (CC 154), phantom cities (Sand 23), rage, restless dead (faint) (EE 17), sacred spring (HoH 68), shrine of the weaponmaster (DMG2 248), a spiritual wound (greater devil), supernatural water (bestow curse, blindness/deafness, Contagion, heroism, Remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, or restoration), tainted site (1 point) (HoH 68), wailing waste (Sand 26).

Strong

Sources: A major planar bleed from an Outer Plane (MotP 220), a complete planar breach from an Outer Plane (PlH 153), long-term exposure of related 9th-level or stronger spells, an abomination’s prison, the death of a demigod, the divine realm of a demigod or lesser god, the calling of a Duke of Hell, the physical presence of an intermediate or greater deity, the home temple of an intermediate god’s high priest.

Effects: Blood moon (strong) (EE 50), charnel bog (HoH 69), demonic serpent infestation (strong) (EE 114), the entrapping trait (MotP 108), footsteps of Corellon (DMG2 239), Forbiddance, hallow, psychic turmoil (XPH), restless dead (moderate) (EE 17), a spiritual wound (Duke of Hell), the strongly aligned trait, supernatural water (Atonement, commune, heroes’ feast, raise dead, or slay living), tainted site (1d4 points) (HoH 68), unhallow, a zeitgeist (bound to line) (City).

Major

Sources: Castle Greyhawk, an epic lich’s tomb, the Tomb of Horrors, the calling of an arch-devil, long-term exposure of related epic spells, the death of a lesser god, the divine realm of an intermediate deity, the prison of a powerful abomination (hecatoncheires, phaethon, xixical), the home temple of a greater god’s high priest.

Effects: Blood moon (overwhelming) (EE 50), demonic serpent infestation (overwhelming) (EE 114), dimensional lock, necrocarnum bog (MoI 205), greater psychic turmoil (XPH), restless dead (strong) (EE 17), a spiritual wound (arch-devil), supernatural water (greater restoration, heal, or resurrection).

Intense

Sources: The abode of a Lord of the Nine, the death of an intermediate or greater god, the divine realm of a greater deity.

Effects: Restless dead (overwhelming) (EE 17), spiritual wound (Lord of the Nine), supernatural water (greater restoration, heal, or resurrection).

READING LEY LINE DESCRIPTIONS

Each ley line’s description begins with the bolded words Ley Line followed by the line’s grade, type, subtype, shape (either line or node), and the Perception DC to sense the line. The second line describes the physical boundaries of the line and/or its approximate dimensions. On the next line, any special properties of the line are described and the Spellcraft DC to identify each property is listed after it. If the line’s properties are complicated, such as if it is a touchstone site, details follow on the lines below. The last line describes the source of the ley energy and the Perception DC to identify it.

Below is an example of a ley line using the touchstone site known as Salt Statuary (Sand 58).

Ley Line: Mild elemental (salt) line (Perception DC 12 to sense).

Boundaries: The edges of the exposed salt deposit (approximately 150 feet by 90 feet).

Properties: Touchstone site (Spellcraft DC 26).

Base Ability: You gain the Improved Heat Endurance (Sand 50) feat.

Recharge Condition: You must successfully cast flesh to salt (Sand 116) on a living creature within the line.

Higher-Order Ability: You can use parching touch (Sand 118) as a spell-like ability. Your caster level is equal to your character level.

Higher-Order Uses: 12.

Source: Many castings of flesh to salt in a short period of time (Perception DC 20).

NEW SKILL USES

PERCEPTION (Wisdom)

You can sense, locate and analyze ley energy, provided you have the necessary knowledge.

Sense Ley Lines: To detect a ley line, you need only enter the area (requiring no additional action). Whenever you enters the area of a ley line, the DM secretly makes a Spellcraft check to see if you sense it. The DC to sense a line depends upon its grade, as noted on the table below. If you detect a line, you learn the grade and type of the line. If multiple lines occupy the same location, you detect all lines which you meet or exceed the DC for.

Line Grade	Perception DC
Trace	22
Faint	18
Mild	14
Moderate	10
Strong	6
Major	2
Intense	-2
Primal	-6

If you fail to detect a line, you do not get another free check to sense it until you leave the line and enter it again. At any time, you can take a full round action to actively re-try to sense any ley lines you are within.

Once you have sensed a ley line, you can try to identify the source of that line as a full-round action. This has a DC as noted on the table below. When you identify a source, you learn some of its general nature (such as “high groundwater”, “a small lagoon”, or “a portal to an evil plane”) but not precise details (such as the name of the place a portal leads to or whether the water in a lake is safe to drink). You also learn its approximate distance and direction from your location.

Line Grade	Perception DC
Trace	14
Faint	18
Mild	22
Moderate	26
Strong	30
Major	34
Intense	38
Primal	42

If you fail the check to identify a line’s source, you cannot try again until you gain at least 1 rank in Perception.

You can actively search out ley lines as well. You can choose to search an area of land for ley lines, making a Perception check after walking around the area and exploring. The check reveals all ley lines in the area which it equals or exceeds the DC for. You can then attempt checks to analyze those lines’ effects and identify their sources. Searching a region for ley lines requires 1d6 days for an area of ten square miles.

Special: The Perception skill can only be used to sense ley lines or identify their sources by characters with at least 1 rank in an appropriate Knowledge skill. With regard to ley lines you lack proper knowledge of, you can only reactively sense lines that have a DC of 10 or higher by making a Wisdom check (rather than a Perception check). Even if you sense the line, you learn only that the area is a place of power; you gain no more information and can’t determine the line’s origin through means of this skill. Knowledge (the planes) allows you to perceive all lines; Knowledge (Arcana) allows you to perceive essential lines only and Knowledge (nature) allows you to perceive natural lines only.

Spellcraft (Intelligence; trained only)

You can identify
the unique magical effects of certain ley lines and draw energy from them.

Identify Unique Magical Effects: Many ley lines create unique magical effects.
These effects can be identified with a Spellcraft check against the following
DC, dependent upon grade.

Since these are unique effects, it is not uncommon for lines to have DCs different from the base listed here.

Tap Ley Line: As a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, you can attempt to draw energy from a ley line which you have already sensed with the Perception skill (not merely a Wisdom check) to augment your magic. The DC depends upon how you intend to use the energy. For instance, if you have the Ley Adept feat, you can use the energy to increase your caster level for spells related to the ley line.

Some ley lines can be tapped for magic by anyone who can make a necessary Spellcraft check. The DC and benefit are unique to each such line. You can only attempt to draw energy from a ley line for a unique effect if you have already identified that unique effect with a Spellcraft check.

Note that ley lines can be tapped for uses that do not use Spellcraft, such as psionics. In such a case, the relevant alternative skill, such as Psicraft, is used to tap the ley line instead (the rules are otherwise the same).

Special: If you have the Touchstone (or Planar Touchstone) feat, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Spellcraft checks to tap a ley line that you are currently linked to as a touchstone site.

New Feats

Dowsing Feats

Dowsing feats usually require or alter the use of the tap ley line function of the Spellcraft skill. Most require at least 1 rank in Spellcraft, Psicraft, or a similar skill. Many alter the way you cast spells, and can only affect spells which are related to the type of the ley line you tapped. All the benefits of these feats are supernatural unless otherwise noted.

AZURE GEOMANCY [DOWSING]

Originally Posted by MythMage of the Dicefreaks forums.

On this Thread

You can channel energy from ley lines to empower your soul.

Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Knowledge (the planes) 1 rank, Spellcraft 3 ranks.

Benefit: When you tap a ley line, you may use the power to enhance incarnum-based effects. You add a number of bonus essentia to your essentia pool. Channeling energy from
a ley line requires a Spellcraft check, with the result determining how much, if any, essentia you acquire. Once a check has been made, you remain attuned to the line and can access the bonus essentia for a number of rounds thereafter
equal to your Wisdom bonus, or until you leave the area.

 

GEOMANTIC
METAMAGIC [DOWSING]

You can channel
energy from ley lines to augment your spellcasting.

Prerequisites:
Wisdom 13, Ley Adept, any metamagic feat, Knowledge
(the planes) 1 rank, Spellcraft
8 ranks.

Benefit:
When you tap a ley line, you may use the power to augment your spells. You
gain “bonus levels” on the next spell you cast related to the ley
line’s type. Channeling energy from a ley line requires a Spellcraft check,
with the result determining how many, if any, bonus levels you gain. Once a
check has been made, you remain attuned to the line and gain the bonus levels
on the next appropriate spell you cast unless you first leave the area. These
bonus levels can be spent to “buy” one or more metamagic effects.
You can buy the effect of any feats you possess whose total level increase is
less than or equal to the number of bonus levels you have.

You may choose the spell and metamagic effect(s) immediately after you make the Spellcraft check. If you do, you lose the benefit if the next spell you cast is not the chosen one modified as in the chosen manner. If you do not make the choice immediately, casting this modified spell requires at least a full-round action unless the spell is quickened or you are buying that metamagic effect; if the spell’s normal casting time is longer, increase the casting time by 1 full-round action.

LEY ADEPT [DOWSING]

You can channel energy from ley lines to improve your spellcasting power.

Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Knowledge (the planes) 1 rank, Spellcraft 4 ranks.

Benefit: When you tap a ley line, you may use the power to bolster your spells. You gain an insight bonus on your caster level for spells related to the ley line’s type. Channeling energy from a ley line requires a Spellcraft check, with the result determining how much, if any, your caster level is increased. Once a check has been made, you remain attuned to the line and gain the bonus to your caster level whenever you next cast an appropriate spell, as long as you do not first leave the area.

Spellcraft DC	Caster Level Increase
Line Grade	+1	+2	+3	+4
Trace	15	—	—	—
Faint	14	—	—	—
Mild	13	20	—	—
Moderate	12	19	—	—
Strong	11	18	26	—
Major	10	17	25	—
Intense	9	16	24	33
Primal	8	15	23	32

LEY LIFEFORCE [DOWSING, INCARNUM]

You can use soul energy as ley energy.

Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks.

Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia in this feat to gain geomantic energy as if you were within a ley line. You can activate feats such as Essential Geomancy or maintain the effect of feats such as Strength of the Leys as if you were within a ley line. Moreover, you can tap this energy as a free action using the Spellcraft skill once per round.

The ley energy is either essential or the type matching your home plane, as you prefer. An Outer Plane native can create a spiritual node (with appropriate subtypes); an Inner Planes native, elemental (with appropriate subtypes); a Material Plane native, material. The amount of essentia invested determines the effective grade of the ley energy, as shown on the table below. Once you choose the amount of essentia to invest in this feat, it cannot be changed and remains invested for 24 hours.

Points of Essentia Invested	Effective Line Grade
1	Trace
2	Faint
3	Mild
4	Moderate
5	Strong
6	Major
7	Intense
8	Primal

You gain 1 point of essentia.

STRENGTH OF THE LEYS [DOWSING]

You can use the ambient energy of ley lines to improve your physical prowess.

Prerequisites: Constitution 13, Knowledge (Arcana, nature, or planes) 3 ranks.

Benefit: As long as you are within a ley line, you gain an enhancement bonus on your Strength score depending on the grade of the line. You must identify the source of a line in order to draw on the energy of that line.

Line Grade	Strength Bonus
Trace	+1
Faint	+2
Mild	+3
Moderate	+4
Strong	+5
Major	+6
Intense	+7
Primal	+8

You gain the benefits of this feat while within an essential line only if you have at least 3 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana or planes), an elemental line only if you have
at least 3 ranks in Knowledge
(planes), a material line only if you have at
least 3 ranks in Knowledge (nature or planes), and a spiritual line only if
you have at least 3 ranks in Knowledge
(planes).

You cannot benefit from a line that is antithetical to your nature. For example, a chaotic good creature cannot benefit from a lawful or evil line and vice versa, a fire creature cannot benefit from a cold or water line unless it is also somehow a cold or water creature, an apostle of peace cannot benefit from a spiritual (war) line, and so on.

TOUCHSTONE
GEOMANCY [DOWSING]

The Touchstone
(or Planar Touchstone) feat allows you to carry a small amount of ley energy
away from a ley line; you can now use this energy for more purposes.

Prerequisites:
Touchstone (or Planar Touchstone), any one dowsing feat, Knowledge
(planes)
1 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks.

Benefit: You can expend a use of your touchstone site’s higher-order ability as a swift action to activate this feat. Then, you gain all the benefits and drawbacks of being within the ley line that you are attuned to as your touchstone site. Thus, you can use the tap ley line function of the Spellcraft skill as if you were within that ley line. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom bonus.

If you are already within the touchstone site when you use this ability, you gain a +4 bonus on your Spellcraft check to tap that ley line.

Additionally, when you meet a touchstone site’s recharge condition, increase the amount of uses of its higher-order ability you gain by 1.

NEW MAGIC

Anchor Ley Line (Incantation)

School transmutation [see text]; Effective Level 6th
Skill Check Perception DC (10+5*grade), 1 success (see below); Spellcraft DC (10+5*grade), 5 successes
Failure damage
Components V, S, B (caster is exhausted), M (see text)
Casting Time 6 hours
Range 0 ft.
Targets one ley line and one potential geomantic structure
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This incantation links a ley line to a physical structure designed to fix that part of the line in place. A line so anchored generally shifts less often than other lines. A builder can’t anchor a ley line to a structure unless he is aware of the line and has analyzed it, and the structure must be designed from the start to take advantage of the line.

While anchoring a line to the structure, the caster can attempt to create a node of the same type and grade as the line. Attempting to create a node increases the skill check DC to anchor the ley line by 10 points and doubles the material component cost. If multiple ley lines coexist at the location of the structure, each must be anchored with a separate incantation. Nodes can anchor lines on their own without any ritual, so many builders prefer to simply find such a node and anchor the structure to it instead of taking the effort to create a new node. If a node is created or targeted with this effect, it may be caused to produce a specific effect of the builder’s choice worth less than the cost of the material components (DM’s discretion if no cost is given).

The nature of the structure must not be opposed to the nature of the line for the ritual to succeed. For instance, a spiritual (evil) line cannot be anchored to a temple dedicated to a good god. A material line cannot be anchored to a temple dedicated to an entity not associated with nature. Essential lines can be anchored to virtually any structure not linked to the Void Beyond the Stars.

The initial Perception check must be made by a participant with the Knowledge relevant to the line (planes for any type; arcana for essential lines; or religion for spiritual lines).

If the target ley line has a subtype which is a valid spell descriptor, this incantation has that descriptor.

Mortal magic such as this has no effect on primal lines.

Failure: The caster is burned by mis-aligned ley energy, suffering 2d12 damage per grade of the ley line.

Material Component: Rare herbs, oils, and compounds worth at least as much as indicated on the table below.

Line Grade	Skill DC	Material Component Cost
Trace	15	500 gp
Faint	20	2,000 gp
Mild	25	8,000 gp
Moderate	30	32,000 gp
Strong	35	128,000 gp
Major	40	384,000 gp
Intense	45	1,152,000 gp

Campaign Use: This incantation is used by any group that makes a habit of tapping ley lines for power, especially druid circles.

Create Magical Location

School evocation [see text];

Level cleric 4, druid 4, sorcer/wizard 4
Components: V, S, M (herbs, oils, incense worth half the value of the magical location created), F (ley line), DF
Casting Time 24 hours
Range 0 ft.
Target 50-ft. +5 ft./level radius emanating from the touched point; see text
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none

Spell Resistance no

As you finish the spell, barely-visible magical energy spreads through the area around you.

When you cast the spell, you must attempt a Perception check against DC 20. Since this DC is above 10, you must have ranks in the Knowledge matching the ley line’s type (planes for any type; arcana for essential lines; or religion for spiritual lines); you may take 10 on this skill check unless you are threatened. If you succeed, you understand the nuances of the ley line focus sufficiently to produce the effect of a chosen magical location. The magical location fills a 50-foot radius unless the nature of the magical location demands otherwise, in which case it fills an area as close to this size as is appropriate. Increase the radius of the area by 5 feet per caster level you possess; if the base size is not 50 feet, the rate of increase should be modified proportionately.

The created magical location has a caster level equal to your own. The spell fails if you attempt to create a magical location that exceeds the value limit noted for the grade of the ley line focus on the appropriate table (see Special Effects in the ley line rules). If the ley line focus has a subtype which is a valid spell descriptor, this spell has that descriptor.

A spellcaster can only create a magical location from a type of ley line related to his magical skills. Arcane spellcasters may manipulate only essential ley lines. Belief-based spellcasters may manipulate only spiritual ley lines, plus those related to their source of power. Nature-based spellcasters may manipulate material ley lines, as well as any found on the Material Plane.

Dowser’s Sense

School divination;

Level druid 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Components V, S, F
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Personal you
Duration 1 hour/level

You hold the dowsing rod before you; it seems to faintly lurch forward in your hand, urging you on your search for ley lines.

You may make Perception checks to sense ley lines as if you were trained in Knowledge (planes). You gain a +2 insight bonus on Perception checks involving ley lines.

Focus: A dowsing rod.

Shunt Ley Line

School transmutation [see text];

Level druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
Components V, S, F (dowsing rod)
Casting Time 1 round
Range 1,000 ft./level
Target One ley line whose source you have identified with the Perception skill
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw None (object)
Spell Resistance No (object)

A line of violet energy shoots from the dowsing rod into the earth and streaks like lightning along the ground off into the distance. Almost immediately, emerald green light flows back along the line to you.

Make a Spellcraft check as if you were attempting to tap the target ley line (DC varies by grade: trace 12, faint 14, mild 16, moderate 18, strong 20, major 22, intense 24, primal 26). If you succeed, the energy of the target ley line is drawn to the space you occupy. You may target the line only if there is an unbroken medium between you and the line – air, earth, water, or the like; different states of matter count as different mediums (ice is not the same as water – for instance, if you are in a boat you cannot reach a line underwater without touching the water’s surface; you cannot reach a line through the earth if you are floating on a river of magma). If the spell must go around an obstacle, the extra distance is counted against the spell’s range.

As long as you do not move from your space (or until the spell ends), you are treated as if within the ley line for the purposes of the line’s effects (including the ability to tap the ley line or gain a bonus from the Strength of the Leys feat).