Keywords

Like weapons and armor spells have their own keyword system. These keywords help define and group like spells together. For example multiple spells may contain the “Nature” keyword, meaning any feat or ability that would modify a Nature keyword spell would modify all those spells not just a specific spell. Some classes may use this to indicate changes in BCB due to affinity with a type of magic. Some talents or abilities may add keywords to spells as part of their application to a spell’s casting.

Spells gain the keywords of any talents applied to them, though some talents or abilities may specify the replacement of keywords (such as a talent changing a spell from Dark to Nature keywords.)

Standard Spell Keywords

Keyword	Description
Affinity	Affinity in itself is not the keyword, but a reference to spells with Cold, Earth, Fire, Nature, Deacy, Void, Air, or Water. This affinity is always determined by the prerequisite affinity talent, and its Essence or Anima element, being used to cast it. For example Cure is a Water(Essence) affinity talent and thus is a Water affinity spell gaining the Water keyword. This is generally important when determining what spells a character can cast and their interaction with creatures with Resistance to an element.
Clinging	Clinging spells are spells that require some sort of check (such as a combat maneuver, escape artist or strength check) to escape from them.
Curse	Curse keyword spells create an ongoing detrimental effect that is attached to a creature or object.
Emanation	Emanation keyword spells create an area that interferes with creatures, objects, or effects inside of it.
Fear	This is a subtype of mind-affecting spells. This usually is associated with spells that inflict shaken, frightened, panicked, and cowering type of fear ailments.
Illumination	Illumination spells are spells that adjust the light level of an area, such as making it darker or brighter. When an Illumination keyword spell interacts with an ongoing Illumination keyword spell the caster of the effect must make an opposed SPB check against the existing effect. The greater of the SPB checks remain while the other is dispelled immediately.
Language-Dependent	This is a specific type of mind-affecting effect. These effects require the target to be able to hear and understand the caster, which usually requires a shared language.
Maneuver	The spell emulates a combat maneuver (such as grapple, trip, reposition, sunder, or disarm). This means generally bonuses, penalties, or special effects related to that type of combat maneuver may apply (certain feats such as those that apply with weapon attacks or grant additional attacks do not apply to spells.)
Mental	This defines spells with a mind-affecting effect for the purposes of what may resist them.
Poison	The spell is treated as a poison effect, allowing resistances and immunities to apply against the effects of the spell.
Shaped	This spell may have a shape meta talent applied to it causing it to target a different area.
Shell	Shell spells surround a target with a non-instantaneous effect that moves with the target.
Sonic	Sonic spells are those that rely on that of sound and vibrations to get their effect. This keyword primarily helps determine the strengths and weaknesses of different creatures against this effect.

School Keywords

School keywords generally don’t have any effect, but rather exist to help further categorize the theme of a spell. Some classes such as wizard focus more on schools than the actual affinities.

Blight	Blight magic is magic that excels in the destruction of nature and spread of disease.
Conjuration	Spells that conjure creatures, entities, or other things into existence, usually to fight for you.
Creation	Creation keyword spells create a non-instantaneous physical object through magic.
Divination	Divination keyword spells usually involve the caster glimpsing into the future, or at least gaining minor insight into future events, or sometimes even reaching out to adjust fate itself.
Enchantment	Enchantment keyword spells are spells that alter or control the mind.
Evocation	Evocation spells are spells that conjure up a usually instantaneous form of elemental magic such as a lightning bolt, a fireball, or similar effect. Sometimes this can take the form of an elemental based spell such as enhancing a weapon to be shrouded in fire.
Force	Force spells are spells that either warp space or simply convey an invisible force to manipulate the world around them. This is primarily used with Telekinesis type magic.
Transmutation	Transmutation keyword spells alter a person or object in some way without usually altering their form in any way. These effects can be both beneficial or detrimental.
Healing	Healing keyword spells are any spells that restore hit points or remove abnormal status effects from a target.
Illusion	Illusion spells create a visible or audible effect intended to deceive a target. Most illusions are ineffective against creatures that cannot see them, and can be circumvented by special sense types such as Blindsight.
Necromancy	Necromancy spells handle spells that interact with the dead, undeath, and in some cases the unnatural manipulation of life energies.
Polymorph	Polymorph spells are spells that modify the physical form of a creature. Unless otherwise noted polymorph spells usually merge any equipment the creature is wielding or wearing into this new form, causing them to no longer function unless it’s a magic item with a continuous permanent effect. Some effects may allow your armor to still function while polymorphed, while you may instead craft or summon armor that may be equipped after the polymorph has occurred (though this armor must be specially crafted to fit your new form). Until the spell ends items in a belt, backpack, or other container on your person before you polymorphed are inaccessible. Unless otherwise specified polymorph spells attempt to overwrite each other, causing an dispel attempt against any ongoing polymorph spells. If a polymorphed form would lack a mouth or head it may interfere with the ability to perform somatic components.
Rift	Rift spells are generally spells that warp space through either teleportation, or access to extradimensional spaces.