Ontological Dominance

Dominance and Dominions

Almost all entities fall under someone or something's dominion or many dominions. Usually this is as you'd expect; a farmer has full claim over his chickens, a farmer and his lord may share claims on the farmland, and so on. But other times, entities can forcefully impose their dominance over another entity, temporarily or permanently changing the dominion that entity falls under. Rarely, concepts may fall under a dominion as well.

Dominions can overlap and be cooperative or oppositional to other dominions. Dominions can also vary in strength or other properties within itself. For example, a farmer may have a very strong claim on one of his chickens, but a weaker claim on that chicken's feathers and an even weaker claim on that chicken's sweat.

Spellcasting

Every creature with a charisma score can have domain over something. To create any effect on an entity or concept's dominions or what domains it or parts of it fall under, a creature must extend their domain, either overlapping or dominating other domains. Each time, this drains the creature of energy and they feel more despondent and compliant. A creature can do this without measurable ill effect a number of times per day equal to half their HD + their Charisma modifier (minimum one). A creature can continue extending their domain after this point if they pass a Charisma check (DC 10 + 2 per extra attempt). If the check fails, they take 2 Charisma damage.

To extend their domain, a creature may use anywhere from 0 to all of their available bonus on their Charisma check. If the extension was successful and must be maintained, the amount of bonus used to extend their domain is no longer available for use for subsequent checks until the extension is released. A character can at most maintain a number of domain extensions equal to their HD plus Charisma mod (minimum 1).

Spells

Detect Domain
Dominion change effect: none
Action: Focus on an entity or concept (Move Action)
Maintained: No

You focus on an entity or concept and know if there are any claims on it and the general strength of the cumulative dominions it falls under.

If there are any active dominance spells on the entity or concept, this reveals the primary purpose of it.

Assert Domain
Dominion change effect: dominate
Action: Focus on an entity or concept (Move Action)
Maintained: Yes

You focus on an entity or concept and make a Charisma check to assert your domain over any existing domains. The DC is based on how many domains overlap the target and the strength of those domains. If there are no domains the target falls under, the DC is 0. On a successful Charisma check, you assert your domain on the target until the domains you nullified change, at which point the check is compared against the new DC.

Extend Domain
Dominion change effect: overlap (varies)
Action: Focus on an entity or concept (Move Action)
Maintained: Yes

You focus on an entity or concept and make a Charisma check to extend your domain and overlap any existing domains.

To extend your domain oppositionally, the base DC is 10. To extend it cooperatively, the base DC is 0. If there are any existing oppositional dominions, the DC increases based on how many such domains there are and the strength of those domains. On a successful Charisma check, you extend your domain to the target until a dominion that overlaps yours becomes oppositional, at which point the check is compared against the new DC.

Prepare Passageway
Dominion change effect: dominate
Action: picture a passageway (varies as desired)
Maintained: Yes
This is a specialization of Assert Domain that allows you to assert you domain over a passageway you may not know enough about and to gain a bonus to it depending on how well you can visualize the passageway.

You identify a passageway you know exists and its surroundings and cast onto it. Once cast onto a passageway, allows the weapon of armies to connect the target passageway to another passageway that has been similarly prepared.

Wolf Call
Dominion change effect: overlap (cooperative)
Action: touch the ground (Move Action)
Maintained: No

You touch the ground to cause an area around you to emit the sound of a wolf's howl. To anyone in the area, it seems that the howl is coming from all around and has the intensity as if a wolf were howling right next to them. The Hound of the Flock can locate the source of the call and treat it as very familiar for teleport.