Spiritualism

Main Idea

Spiritualism is more than a type of magic, it is a way of life for some people. This is not the same magic as that granted to followers by gods, but both types of power have the same origin: Souls. Practitioners of Spiritualism do not use power granted by the gods, but the way they cast their magic is done with similar motions. Spiritualists do not need to come from powerful bloodlines. The only requisite to be a spiritualism arcanist is to have a powerful soul, one that is bright enough or dark enough to attract the attentions of different beings. It's not required to follow the paths that attract aligned beings, but to do so is usually rewarding.

Spiritualists have a strange power. Those who are practised in the arts have the power to peer through the veil to see the other side. With more experience they can learn to see the other planes, including a more mysterious plane which is linked just as mysteriously to the power of the spiritualists, a plane which no others can describe, or even detect. Those who follow the aligned paths find that this place glows more blurry as they grow in power, their power starting to link elsewhere. Those that do not delve into aligned spiritualism find that they only get closer to this plane, becoming more distant and detached from the real world as they do.

Spiritualists make great alternative to priests in many societies. Those that have grudges against the local religions will typically call in a spiritualist if they need the kind of help that can only be given by other forces. Spiritualists rarely openly worship a single god, if they do choose to worship, many spiritualists accept multiple gods and draw upon their lesser powers.

The term spirit refers to a wide range of entities or beings that are not supposed to be in the world of the living or the plane the spiritualist is in. A spiritualist visiting other planes is not as powerful when fighting the denizens of that world. The only exception to this rule is that undead and ghosts are always subject to the full powers of a spiritualist. Those in the afterlife are not counted as undead or ghosts. They are physical denizens of that plane.

Manifestation

Spiritualism manifests in those with the potential for magic and a powerful soul. Spiritualists usually manifest their powers when trying to draw on the soul to use magic for the first time. Any magic they learn is much brighter, leaving a much more radiant trail for entities to follow. The magic of a spiritualist leaves a strange otherworldly glow to the air and attracts harmless ethereal creatures.

Ghosts and other types of lost souls can also unlock the power of a spiritualist who does not know of their potential. Even when not using magic, a spiritualist's soul is strong enough to give ghosts some type of contact with the real world when they are nearby. This is usually in whispers or strange sensations.

Capabilities

Spiritualists make for the best ghost hunters and powerful exorcists. One of the few displays of magic a spiritualist can do without the aid of spirits is to soulburn their enemies. Against living enemies who are native to the plane the spiritualist is standing on, this power is less effective but ignores armours and cannot miss. Against planar invaders, entities that are from other planes or those stuck between the planes, this is an agonising experience, as their very being is torn apart by planar energies. This, and a few other spells, allow spiritualists to hold their own against the spirits and smite the undead.

Novice spiritualists do not 'use' the spirits. The early spells that interact with spirits are all based around being able to detect and to a degree, communicate with spirits. Spiritualists have a number of tricks that can bring the force of their soul to bear upon both the living and dead. Spiritualists come third in the strength of the curses they can place on others, behind Chaos and Corrupt magic. Later on, they can beg for the spirits to place even stronger curses.

As spiritualists grow in power, they become something to be feared by all. No spirit is beyond their reach and not even the most devout priests can keep their souls safe from an enraged spiritualist. It is at this point that a spiritualist decides whether they will go down an aligned path, choosing to make deals with demons, supernals, or jinn. Those that do not choose to walk the aligned path instead gain powers that revolve around the neutral spirits and the planar energies, tapping into ethereality. Rites and rituals also begin becoming important, summoning circles and circles of protection being required for the safety of the spiritualist.

As a spiritualist rises to the height of their power they have the option to join one of the wide-reaching spiritualist circles. Those who join the circles develop powers that encourage working with others and group rituals which are much more powerful than a lone spiritualist can call up. Spiritualists do not typically change once they have made the starting steps in either direction. Spiritualists who join a circle can perform rites that can either desecrate lands or lift curses placed by the gods themselves. Circles will never do rites that go against their values and beliefs.

Hedge Spiritualists are extremely rare, and almost always choose to travel down the path of Ethereality unless chosen and nurtured into power by a spirit.