Thaumaturge Domain

Thaumaturges are masters of structured arcane knowledge. Rather than drawing from innate power or chaotic inspiration, they rely on study, discipline, and careful preparation. Their spells are encoded in detailed writings, rituals, and arcane formulas, which they transcribe into their personal spellbooks. A Thaumaturge’s greatest strength lies not in raw power, but in versatility, foresight, and the ability to shape magic with precision. As their knowledge grows, so too does their capacity to manipulate magical energy beyond the limits of ordinary casters.

Thaumaturges thrive in environments where time and planning are on their side. While they may falter in spontaneous situations, they excel when given a chance to prepare, adapt, and control the flow of battle through clever use of their spell repertoire.

When you take this Domain, choose the Aspect you use to cast Thaumaturge spells (e.g. Ingenuity, Finesse, Discipline, Insight, or Tact) and use for your Features.

You possess a personal spellbook, a magical tome that contains the secrets of your arcane studies.

• Spellbook Capacity: You may inscribe up to (3 + 2 x your Tier + your Domain Aspect score) spells into your spellbook.
• Inscribing New Spells: To add a spell, you must:
  • Encounter a written version of the spell (scroll, book, etc.)
  • Spend time studying it (GM sets time and conditions)
  • Pass a Domain Aspect check (DC based on spell complexity)
  • Spend rare inks and arcane materials (10–50 coins, tier dependent)
• Preparing Spells: After a full rest, choose up to (3 + half your Domain Aspect score) spells from your spellbook to prepare. “These are the spells you may cast without penalty.
• Casting Unprepared Spells: You may attempt to cast an unprepared spell from your book, but:
  • Increase the action's cost by +1 Action Load
  • Mark 1 Stress
  • Make a Domain Aspect check (DC based on spell complexity)
  • On failure, the spell fizzles and the action is wasted. On success, you cast the spell normally, but with Disadvantage.

Choose two of the following features. These define your early arcane techniques and how you interact with your spellbook.

You’ve trained to identify and unravel enemy spellwork mid-casting.

• When a creature casts a spell within 30 ft, you may attempt to counter it as a Reaction.
• Spend 1 Action Point and mark 1 Stress.
• Roll your Domain Aspect vs the caster’s Discipline (Resistance check).
• On success, the spell is disrupted and fails.

You’ve internalized core principles of your spell repertoire.

• You may cast unprepared spells from your spellbook without rolling a Domain Aspect check.
• All other penalties still apply:
  • +1 Action Load
  • Mark 1 Stress
  • Roll with Disadvantage

Your spellbook is meticulously organized for fast reference.

• Increase your spellbook capacity by +2 × your Tier.
• During any Quick Rest, you may swap one prepared spell with another from your spellbook.

You use clever triggers and memory tricks to steady your casting.

• Ignore Disadvantage from stress or environmental distractions when casting prepared spells.
• Once per round, you may reroll one die that rolled a 1 on a spellcasting action.

You’re attuned to subtle magical traces.

• As a Free Action, you may sense whether an object, creature, or space within 10 ft is magical.
• Gain Advantage on checks to decipher magical text, sigils, or glyphs.
• When you successfully identify a magical effect, you identify one of its tags (e.g., Fire, Illusion, Charm).

To reach Tier 2 in the Thaumaturge Domain, you must:

• Spend significant time studying or expanding your spellbook.
• Demonstrate mastery by successfully casting at least one unprepared spell in a moment of danger or uncertainty.
• Gain the approval of a mentor, complete a research project, or uncover a rare arcane text.

At Tier 2, a Thaumaturge begins to manipulate magical forces not just through knowledge, but through patient accumulation of power. While others cast and forget, you shape the battlefield by building pressure turn by turn, waiting for the right moment to unleash spells of overwhelming potency. Your arcane mind becomes not just a repository of knowledge—but a reservoir of potential.

You can reserve magical energy across turns to release a more powerful spell.

• At the end of your turn you may begin charging your reservoir.
• Add 1 or more remaining Action Points to your Arcane Reservoir, drawn from your virtual pool for your Domain Aspect. These points are set aside and unavailable for reactions or other uses.
• On your next turn, you may spend all stored points at once, along with as many of your current turn’s points as you want, to empower a single spell.
• If you take damage while you have points in your Reservoir, roll a Discipline check (DC 10 + damage taken). On failure, the reservoir is lost.
  • The damage value used is after reducing the attacker’s roll by your evasion, as well as applying any resistances or vulnerabilities.

The Arcane Reservoir enables explosive turns—but only if you can survive the wait.

Choose two of the following features. These deepen your magical control, letting you manipulate spell structure and maintain concentration under pressure.

You link your spells through careful structure and symbolic layering.

• When you cast a prepared spell, your next spell (cast on your next turn) may have its Action Load reduced by 1 (minimum 0).
• This does not reduce the number of dice rolled—only the cost to you.
• This benefit only applies if the second spell shares a tag or magical theme with the first (GM's discretion).

You’ve mastered the art of subtle, undetectable casting.

• You may cast any prepared spell without speaking or gesturing.
• This allows casting while silenced, restrained, or hidden without penalty.
• Additionally, your mental control gives you Advantage on Discipline checks to maintain your Arcane Reservoir when taking damage.

You channel your stored energy into protecting your mind and body.

• When making a Resistance check, you may spend 1 Action Point from your Arcane Reservoir to gain Advantage on that check.
• You may do this even if the reservoir is still building.
• You may not spend more than 1 Reservoir point this way per check.

You anchor a single spell within your consciousness.

• After a Full Rest, choose one of your prepared spells to bookmark.
• You may later cast this spell even if it is no longer prepared, and do so without the usual penalties:
  • No increase to Action Load
  • No Stress
  • No Disadvantage

To reach Tier 3 in the Thaumaturge Domain, you must:

• Demonstrate mastery over the Arcane Reservoir by using it to empower a high-cost spell during a key encounter.
• Create, decipher, or recover a lost or forbidden spell that no other caster in your region knows.
• Establish a personal research space—a hidden sanctum, library annex, or arcane workshop.

You can now maintain and grow your Arcane Reservoir across multiple rounds.

• At the end of each turn, you may add 1 or more additional Action Points to your reservoir (from your Domain Aspect’s virtual pool).
• To continue building the reservoir:
  • You must add at least 1 more point than you added on your previous turn.
  • You must mark 1 Stress each turn you maintain it beyond the first.
• You may continue this build-up until you cast, lose concentration, or run out of available points.
• You may now cast spells with Action Costs higher than your per-turn limit, using all stored points at once.

With patience and resolve, you reach into the realm of truly impossible magic.

Choose two of the following features. These abilities unlock advanced techniques that reshape the rules of magic itself.

You can disrupt enemy spells with a glance and will alone.

• When a creature casts a spell within 60 ft, you may attempt to counter it as a Reaction.
• You do not mark Stress when using this ability, but it does still use 1 Action Point.
• Roll your Domain Aspect vs the caster’s Discipline (Resistance check).
• On success, the spell is disrupted and fails.

This feature replaces Arcane Countermeasure if you previously selected it.

You’ve uncovered deep structural parallels across magical traditions.

• Choose either the Divine or Nature spell type.
• You may inscribe and prepare spells with that tag as if they were Arcane.
• You may add up to 2 × your Tier such spells to your spellbook.
• These spells are treated as Arcane for all Thaumaturge abilities, including your Arcane Reservoir.

You restructure magical formulas to amplify their effect.

• When casting a spell using your Arcane Reservoir, you may apply one of the following enhancements:
  • Double the spell’s range
  • Split the effect between two targets in range
  • Reduce the spell’s Stress cost by 1 (minimum 0)
• You may use this feature once per round.

You gain the ability to pause your reservoir buildup without losing it.

• You may maintain your Arcane Reservoir for 1 round without:
  • Adding new points to it, or
  • Marking Stress
• You may still cast other spells during this round.
• On your next turn, you may choose to resume adding to the reservoir or release it.

You can share a portion of your magical charge with another caster.

• As a Quick Action (costs 1 Action Point, not from your reservoir), you may transfer up to half of your Arcane Reservoir (round down) to a willing allied caster within 10 ft.
• The recipient may immediately use those points to cast a spell from their own spell list.
• These transferred points do not increase their Action Load—only their own spent points do.
• Both you and the recipient must mark 1 Stress when this occurs.

To reach Tier 4 in the Thaumaturge Domain, you must:

• Successfully cast a spell requiring 10 or more Action Points using your Arcane Reservoir.
• Solve a major arcane crisis or anomaly—such as closing a rift, breaking a grand enchantment, or unbinding a dangerous spell.
• Gain access to or construct a great arcane repository, such as a legendary library, extraplanar vault, or chronicle of forbidden spells.

You have achieved complete mastery over the fundamental structure of magic. Spells, no matter their origin, are patterns you can recognize, decode, and describe. Others seek power; you seek understanding—and through that, you transcend the limitations of traditional casting.

• You may analyze any spell effect, casting, or glyph—no matter the origin, school, or power level—and understand its structure, purpose, and flaws. This always succeeds given time and access.
• You may treat any spell tag (Arcane, Divine, Nature, etc.) as Arcane when preparing and casting spells.
• You may collaborate with others to formulate new spells, defining their tags, range, cost, and effects (subject to GM approval and narrative research).
• In social and exploration scenes, your spell knowledge may replace Lore, Investigation, or Insight rolls when evaluating magical phenomena, mysteries, or beings.
• Your insights grant you narrative authority to describe how magic works in the world—what laws it follows, and how those laws might be broken.

You are not a wielder of magic. You are its living theory.

Choose two of the following features. These powers allow you to rewrite, reshape, and redirect magic with absolute authority.

You may alter key properties of any spell you cast.

• When casting a spell, you may change one of the following:
  • Its damage type to any that is in a spell in your spellbook
  • Its range, radius, or duration (double or halve)
  • Its targeting (e.g. self → ally, single → area)
• You may do this once per spell without increasing its cost.

Why would you halve a spell? Maybe you want a smaller diameter Fireball so your allies don't get incinerated.

You can intercept magic targeting nearby allies and reshape its course.

• When an ally within 10 ft is targeted by a spell, you may spend 1 Action Point to become the target instead.
• If you have an active Arcane Reservoir, you may absorb the spell’s energy:
  • Roll a Discipline check vs the spell’s DC
  • On success, reduce the effect and gain 1–2 points in your reservoir (GM discretion)

You can bind stored magical energy into protective wards.

• As a Quick Action (costing 1 Action Point), you may spend 1 or more points from your Arcane Reservoir to create a temporary barrier.
• The barrier has HP equal to the points spent and lasts until the HP are gone.
• It will absorb damage of a spell targeting you or an adjacent ally.

You intuitively adjust your spells for maximum effect.

• You may choose two different spell tags (e.g. Fire, Illusion, Charm) you are familiar with.
• When casting a spell with either tag, you may:
  • Ignore resistance, or
  • Roll with Advantage, or
  • Halve the Action Load cost (min 1)
• You may use this benefit once per round.