Spell Speaker Envoy (Envoy Alternate Class Feature)
(art by Istvan Straban on Artstation)
Magic truly is a strange being, sometimes almost seeming to be alive in how it seethes and dances against reality.
Well, whether it be spirits with a connection to magic or literally the flow of magic itself, there are those that speak to magic as if it were alive, and to the shock of many, this seems to get results!
These so-called spell speakers can use positive reinforcement to bolster the power of magic of their allies, or turn around and literally scold magic out of existence, seeming to shame hostile magic into demanifesting.
While this process is poorly understood, it’s clear these individuals are accessing a form of magic in their own right, one which they leverage to make sure they stay out of the grasp of magic and empower their allies.
The core ability of this option allows the envoy to encourage the spells of allies, which has effects ranging from bolstering damage, duration, range, or area of effect, or reducing the resistance of foes or even guiding aimed spells to seek their target. Of course, their own skill determines the level of spell they can affect, though they can briefly bolster this by expending resolve.
While that’s potent enough on its own, there are a handful of special impovisations exclusive to this class option. These include coaxing the magic of an ally to briefly serve them, casting the magic themselves, scolding hostile spells into being dispelled or even being redirected with enough convincing, and finally, coaxing area spells to move out of the way, either to an entirely new location or simply parting to create a safe path through them.
While the class option on its own is great for supporting a spellcasting ally, particularly if your envoy is already a backline supporter anyway, but the ability to dispel and redirect magic, as well as improve action economy by casting ally spells for them can be quite potent.
I could easily see members of this character option to have a curious relationship with magic itself. Does the magic of different individuals or disciplines have different personalities? What about individual spells? What sort of things to they say to the spells they interact with, and how do they respond?
Nilendus has always been fascinated by the connections that magic bridges between all things. While they lacked the gift of magic themselves, the entu symbiote has always been able to understand what magic “wants”, and how to whisper to it.
The party is part of an away team about to make first contact with an alien civilization. However, when they arrive, they discover someone has beaten them to the punch, another offworlder and con artist using their talent for spell-speaking to set themselves up as a petty god of magic to the natives.
An illegal scyphozoan listening post is the party’s current target, but it sports some pretty impressive magical defenses, prompting them to hire an expert who treats magical spells as if they were people to coerce or convince.