RIFTFINDER

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Spells & Impulses

Related rules: Magic & Psionics Megadamage & Hardness

Overview

A statted catalog of the signature spells and impulses used by Riftfinder's caster and psi classes. Each entry gives Starfinder 2e–compatible details: action cost, range, saves, damage or effect, and scaling. Entries are grouped by class affinity, but most can be learned across tradition lines via standard rules, subject to the class-restriction notes below.

How to read entries

Each spell or impulse entry lists:

  • Rank — 1–10 for spells; impulses are class-feature-equivalent with item-level analogs.
  • Tradition / class — Arcane, Divine, Occult, Primal, or class-specific impulses.
  • Traits — psionic where applicable, plus damage type, action type, and so on.
  • Cast / action cost — 1-action, 2-action, 3-action, 1-minute, etc.
  • Range — touch, 30 ft, 60 ft, etc.
  • Targets / Saving Throw — if applicable.
  • Effect — mechanical description, with outcomes for critical success / success / failure / critical failure.
  • Heightened — scaling at higher ranks.

Linewalker signature spells

The starting repertoire for the Linewalker.

Armor of Ithan (1st rank Arcane)

  • Traits: Arcane, force, abjuration
  • Cast: (somatic + verbal)
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Targets: 1 willing creature
  • Effect: The target gains a shimmering force-armor for 1 minute. Effects:
    • +2 item bonus to AC.
    • The armor itself has Hardness 3 (per Megadamage & Hardness).
    • The armor can absorb damage equal to (2 × spell rank) HP before dispelling. When dispelled by absorbing damage, the wearer takes no damage from the absorbed hit.
  • Heightened (3rd): Bonus to AC increases to +3. Hardness 5. Absorbs damage equal to (3 × spell rank) HP.
  • Heightened (5th): Bonus to AC +4. Hardness 7.
  • Heightened (7th): Bonus to AC +5. Hardness 10.

Energy Bolt (1st rank Arcane)

  • Traits: Arcane, force, attack, evocation
  • Cast: (somatic + verbal)
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Targets: 1 creature
  • Effect: Ranged spell attack. On hit, deal 2d6 force damage + 1d6 per heightened rank.
  • Heightened (2nd): Damage +1d6.
  • Heightened (3rd): Damage +2d6 (total 4d6).
  • Heightening continues to progress by spell rank.

Carpet of Adhesion (2nd rank Arcane)

  • Traits: Arcane, conjuration, transmutation
  • Cast:
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Targets: Creatures in a 10-ft burst
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save (not a basic save — see effect)
  • Effect: A 10-ft burst of magical adhesive coats the ground.
    • Critical Success: Move through normally.
    • Success: Treat the area as difficult terrain.
    • Failure: Movement halved; you cannot leave the area for 1 round.
    • Critical Failure: You are Stuck (immobilized) for 1 minute or until you successfully Escape.
  • Heightened (4th): Area extends to 15-ft burst. Duration of effects increased by 1 round.

Magic Net (2nd rank Arcane)

  • Traits: Arcane, conjuration
  • Cast:
  • Range: 15-ft cone, 30-ft range
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save
  • Effect: A magical net snaps from your hand to ensnare creatures in the cone.
    • Critical Success: Unaffected.
    • Success: Unaffected.
    • Failure: Restrained for 1 round.
    • Critical Failure: Restrained for 1 minute or until you successfully Escape (Athletics or Acrobatics).
  • Heightened (4th): Cone extends to 20 ft. Restrained duration on critical failure becomes 5 minutes.

Sense Magic (cantrip Arcane)

  • Traits: Arcane, divination, detection
  • Cast: 1 minute (detection setup) OR (quick burst)
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Effect: You sense magical and psionic auras within 60 ft. Identifies general aura strength (faint / moderate / strong) and one trait of the source (school, tradition, or psionic trait presence).
  • Heightened (3rd): You learn the specific spell or effect cast (when active), spell rank, and tradition.

Mystic signature spells

Sense Evil (cantrip Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, divination, detection, psionic
  • Cast:
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Effect: You sense the presence of supernatural evil within 60 ft. Identifies general direction and intensity. Effective against fiends, undead, supernatural intelligences, and creatures with the evil / chaotic-evil tradition.
  • Heightened (3rd): Reveals specific creature types and approximate alignment of detected sources.

Spirit Sense (cantrip Occult, psionic)

  • Traits: Occult, divination, detection, psionic
  • Cast:
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Effect: Detect creatures with the spirit, undead, or dimensional trait within 60 ft. Identifies type but not specific identity.

Healing Touch (1st rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, healing, restoration
  • Cast: (touch)
  • Range: Touch
  • Targets: 1 willing creature
  • Effect: The target regains 1d8 + your CHA modifier HP.
  • Heightened (each rank): HP healed +1d8.

Augury (3rd rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, divination, scrying
  • Cast: 10 minutes
  • Range: Self
  • Effect: Ask one yes/no question about an event within the next 30 minutes. The GM gives "weal," "woe," "weal and woe," or "nothing" based on your phrasing.

Charm Person (1st rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, charm, enchantment, mental
  • Cast:
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Targets: 1 humanoid
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: The target attempts a Will save.
    • Critical Success: Unaffected.
    • Success: Unaffected but knows you tried to charm them.
    • Failure: Target is Charmed for 1 hour (acts friendly toward you).
    • Critical Failure: Charmed for 24 hours.

Mindbreaker signature psionic spells

All Mindbreaker signature spells carry the psionic trait, per Magic & Psionics.

Mind Bolt (3rd rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, psionic, mental, attack
  • Cast:
  • Range: 120 ft
  • Targets: 1 creature
  • Saving Throw: Will save (basic)
  • Effect: A pulse of psychic force strikes the target's mind.
    • Critical Success: Half damage.
    • Success: Take 3d6 mental damage. Half on critical success.
    • Failure: Take 6d6 mental damage.
    • Critical Failure: Take 12d6 mental damage and become Stunned 1.
    Mind Bolt carries the Psi-Edge property (the same as a psi-sword) per Megadamage & Hardness — it strikes the mind through the armor, so it ignores Hardness and Resistance from non-psionic sources entirely (only psionic defenses turn it). Its iconic role against MDC-armored opponents.
  • Heightened (5th): Damage increases to 4d6 / 8d6 / 16d6.
  • Heightened (7th): 6d6 / 12d6 / 24d6.
  • Heightened (9th): 8d6 / 16d6 / 32d6.

Mind Block (1st rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, psionic, abjuration, mental
  • Cast:
  • Range: Self
  • Effect: For 1 minute, gain a +2 status bonus to Will saves against mind-affecting and psionic effects.
  • Heightened (3rd): Bonus increases to +3. Duration extends to 10 minutes.

See Invisible (2nd rank Occult, psionic)

  • Traits: Occult, psionic, divination
  • Cast: 1 minute
  • Range: Self
  • Effect: For 10 minutes, you see invisible creatures and magical / psionic auras within 60 ft. Sees through illusions of concealment.

Hypnotic Touch (1st rank Occult, psionic)

  • Traits: Occult, psionic, mental, charm
  • Cast: (touch)
  • Range: Touch
  • Targets: 1 creature
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: Touch a creature; they attempt a Will save.
    • Critical Success: Unaffected.
    • Success: Unaffected.
    • Failure: Charmed for 1 minute.
    • Critical Failure: Charmed for 24 hours. The target obeys reasonable instructions during the duration.
  • Heightened (3rd): Charm duration on failure extends to 10 minutes.

Telepathic Bond (4th rank Occult, psionic)

  • Traits: Occult, psionic, mental, divination
  • Cast: 10 minutes
  • Range: 100 ft
  • Targets: Up to 4 willing creatures
  • Effect: Establish telepathic communication among the targets for 1 hour. Members can communicate over any distance once linked (within 100 ft of where the bond was established; subject to GM ruling on dimensional or extreme-distance interruptions).

Firestarter signature impulses

Firestarter impulses are not "spells" in the standard sense — they're class features following Kineticist conventions. Each impulse has the psionic trait per Magic & Psionics and the fire trait. Some carry the overflow trait.

Fire Ray

  • Action:
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Effect: Ranged psionic attack (CON-keyed). On hit: 2d6 fire damage + 1d6 per 2 class levels.
  • Scaling: Damage scales with character level.

Flame Burst

  • Action:
  • Range: 30 ft (10-ft burst)
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save
  • Effect: Basic Reflex save against class DC. On failure: 2d6 fire damage. Critical failure: 4d6 damage. Damage scales with level.

Flame Shield (overflow)

  • Action:
  • Effect: While in Channel Fire stance, gain Resistance 5 to all damage except sonic and force for 1 minute. Resistance scales: 5 / 10 / 15 at L1 / L9 / L17.

Walk on Fire

  • Action:
  • Effect: While in stance, move through any fire without damage or movement hindrance.

Ignite (at-will)

  • Action:
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Effect: Target one Bulk-equivalent flammable object. Ignites and burns for 1 minute or until extinguished.

Burning Jet

  • Action:
  • Effect: Stride your Speed + 20 ft in a straight line. Ignores difficult terrain. Leaves a flame trail that extinguishes at the end of your next turn but ignites flammable materials it crosses. Cannot end above ground.

Pyrokinetic Flight (L7+ only)

  • Action:
  • Effect: While in stance, gain fly Speed equal to your land Speed for 1 minute. Sustained; cannot Cast a Spell while flying.

Bio-Regenerative Fire (overflow)

  • Action:
  • Effect: While in stance and standing in or surrounded by fire, regain 2d6 HP + 1d6 per 2 class levels.

Heat Wave

  • Action:
  • Range: 15 ft (radius around you)
  • Saving Throw: Fortitude save
  • Effect: All enemies within 15 ft attempt a Fortitude save. On failure, 1d6 fire damage and Sickened 1. On critical failure, 2d6 damage and Sickened 2.

Boil the Air

  • Action:
  • Range: 30 ft line
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save
  • Effect: Targets in the line attempt a Reflex save. On failure, 3d6 fire damage and the air becomes difficult terrain for 1 round. Scales with level.

Inferno Mantle (overflow)

  • Action:
  • Range: Self (5-ft aura)
  • Effect: Become wreathed in fire for 1 minute. Creatures ending their turn within 5 ft take 2d6 fire damage (basic Reflex save). Damage scales.

Solar Flare (L12 class feat, overflow)

  • Action:
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Effect: Ranged psionic attack at +2 status bonus. On hit, 8d6 fire damage + 1d6 per 2 class levels. Basic Reflex save against class DC; on failure, target Blinded for 1 round. Critical failure: Blinded for 1 minute.

Phoenix Form (overflow)

  • Action:
  • Effect: For 1 minute, gain Resistance 10 to non-sonic / non-force damage, +1d6 fire impulse damage, fly Speed 40 ft, and no stance maintenance needed. At end of duration: 5 HP fatigue damage (or 0 at L19 via Pyrokinetic Mastery).

Living Inferno (capstone, stance variant)

  • Action: Per Channel Fire stance activation ()
  • Effect: At L20+, channel fire as Living Inferno mode. Your creature type becomes Elemental (Fire). +2d6 fire on all attacks. Fly 60 ft. Allies within 30 ft gain Resistance 5 to fire. Enemies within 10 ft take 2d6 fire at the start of their turns. Requires a Sustain action each round; 1 HP fatigue per Sustain; Fortitude save (DC 25) at 10 cumulative fatigue.

Warlock signature spells

Sense Rift (cantrip Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, divination, detection
  • Cast:
  • Range: 60 ft (1 mile at L5, longer at higher class levels)
  • Effect: Detect dimensional rifts, portals, gateways, and planar boundaries. Identifies direction and "freshness" (recency of activation).

Dimensional Recall (1st rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, conjuration, teleportation
  • Cast:
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Targets: Self
  • Effect: Teleport up to 30 ft to a location you can see. A small-range tactical teleport. Doesn't provoke as the teleport occurs.

Banish Entity (3rd rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, abjuration, dimensional
  • Cast:
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Targets: 1 summoned / called / planar-traveling creature
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: Target attempts a Will save. On failure, returned to its home plane.
  • Heightened (each rank): Range increases by 30 ft.

Summon Minor Entity (1st rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, conjuration, summoning
  • Cast: 1 minute
  • Effect: Summon a small dimensional creature (CR ≈ character level − 3) that obeys your commands for 1 minute. A standard Summon spell with the creature drawn from the dimensional-entity list.

Read Dimensional Aura (2nd rank Occult)

  • Traits: Occult, divination
  • Cast: 1 minute
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Targets: 1 creature
  • Effect: Learn the target's plane of origin, dimensional alignment, and current status (native, planar-traveling, summoned, or bound).

Psi-Knight signature focus impulses

All Psi-Knight focus impulses carry the psionic trait.

Psi-Sword

  • Action: (manifestation)
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Effect: Manifest a sword of psionic force. Choose form: one-handed (1d8 force, agile, finesse, deadly d8) or two-handed (1d12 force, deadly d10). Duration: until dismissed (free action), unconscious, or replaced. Cannot be Disarmed, sundered, or taken. Damage dice increase via mastery: 2 dice at L5, 3 dice at L13, 4 dice at L17. Penetrating value: 3 at L5, 5 at L13, 10 at L17.

Cyber-Armor

  • Action: (manifestation)
  • Cost: 1 focus point to manifest
  • Effect: Psi-armor for 1 minute / until dismissed / until unconscious. Grants Hardness 3 (at L1; scales to 14 at L17 via Mastery). +1 status to AC (+2 at L17 via Mastery IV).

Psi-Strike

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Effect: Make a Strike with your psi-sword. On hit, deal weapon damage + 1d6 mental damage. The target makes a basic Will save; on failure, takes an additional 1d6 mental. On a critical hit, 2d6 mental. Scaling at L9 (2d6 / 4d6), L15 (3d6 / 6d6). The psi-sword has the Psi-Edge property (see Megadamage & Hardness): both its weapon damage and this mental rider ignore Hardness and Resistance from non-psionic sources (armor, vehicles, dragon/demon hide). Only psionic defenses reduce it — against those, the psi-sword's graded Penetrating N applies.

Zen Combat (stance, L7)

  • Action:
  • Effect: Meditative combat stance. Add your WIS modifier as a circumstance bonus to AC against detected attackers. Lasts until unconscious, asleep, or a free-action end. Restriction: Cannot enter while you have head/neural OR spine/core cyberware installed.

Pacify (Order of the Last Light L1 focus feature)

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: Target a sapient creature. On failure: Dazed until your next turn; cannot make hostile actions against you on its next turn unless attacked by you or your allies first.

Manic signature focus impulses

All Manic focus impulses carry the psionic trait.

Telekinetic Strike

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Range: 30 ft (ranged psionic attack)
  • Effect: Ranged attack roll (WIS-keyed). On hit: 2d6 force + 1d6 per 2 class levels.

Telekinetic Shield

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Effect: Gain a +2 status bonus to AC for 1 minute or until unconscious.

Telekinetic Push

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Range: 30 ft
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save
  • Effect: Target attempts a Reflex save. On failure: pushed 10 ft and Falls Prone. Critical failure: pushed 20 ft, Prone, 1d6 bludgeoning.

Mind Read (overflow-equivalent)

  • Action: 1 minute
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Range: 60 ft
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: On failure, read surface thoughts for 1 minute (1 question per round answered truthfully but in the target's own words).

See Aura

  • Action:
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Effect: For 10 minutes, perceive magical and psionic auras within 60 ft.

Empathic Sense

  • Action: 10 minutes
  • Cost: 1 focus point
  • Saving Throw: Will save
  • Effect: On failure, learn one significant fact about the target's emotional state and recent significant events.

Technomancer signature gadgets

Technomancer gadgets are Quick Crafted items, not spells. They have item levels matching alchemical item conventions. All gadgets carry the magical trait.

Technomancer Force Bomb (item level 1)

  • Traits: magical, force, splash
  • Action (use): (throw or attach)
  • Range: 30 ft, 5-ft burst
  • Saving Throw: Basic Reflex save vs. caster DC
  • Effect: On failure, 1d6 + INT force damage; critical failure 2d6. Splash 1 to creatures within 5 ft of detonation.

Technomancer Stim Shot (item level 1)

  • Trait: magical
  • Action: (touch)
  • Effect: Target gains a +1 status bonus to their next attack roll or skill check (before your next turn).

Technomancer Healing Patch (item level 1)

  • Trait: magical
  • Action: (touch)
  • Effect: Target regains 1d8 + INT HP.

Technomancer Magic Lantern (item level 1)

  • Trait: magical
  • Action: (throw or place)
  • Effect: Illuminates a 30-ft radius. Creatures within the radius can be dazzled (basic Will save) for 1 round.

Technomancer Lockpick (item level 1)

  • Trait: magical
  • Action: 1 minute (attach)
  • Effect: Attaches to a non-magical lock. Auto-succeeds at unlocking it without a Thievery check.

Technomancer Force Net (item level 3)

  • Traits: magical, force
  • Action: (throw)
  • Range: 60 ft, 15-ft cone
  • Saving Throw: Reflex save
  • Effect: On failure, Restrained for 1 round. Critical failure: Restrained for 1 minute.

Cross-class shared spells

Spells available to multiple classes via standard tradition crossover.

Detect Magic (cantrip Arcane / Divine / Occult / Primal)

  • Range: 30 ft
  • Effect: The standard detect-magic cantrip. Sense magical auras within 30 ft.

Heal (1st rank Divine / Primal)

  • Range: Touch (single creature) or area
  • Effect: The standard Heal spell.

Dispel Magic (3rd rank Arcane / Divine / Occult / Primal)

  • Range: 120 ft
  • Effect: The standard Dispel Magic spell.

Fly (4th rank Arcane / Primal)

  • Range: Touch
  • Effect: The standard Fly spell. Available to most arcane casters at character level 7+.

Plane Shift (7th rank Arcane / Divine / Occult / Primal)

  • Range: Touch
  • Effect: Travel to a different plane. The standard Plane Shift spell.

Notes on tradition crossover

Many Occult spells are available to multiple Rifts classes that share the Occult tradition. A Manic with the Mystic-Manic Sub-Spec can learn psionic-tagged Occult spells from the Mindbreaker or Mystic lists. A Linewalker (Arcane) cannot learn Occult-only spells normally, but can via class feats or specific items.

Psionic Occult spells

Some Occult spells listed here are specifically psionic-tagged. These are accessible to:

  • Mindbreaker — all psionic Occult spells.
  • Manic — psionic Occult spells via the Mystic-Manic Sub-Spec or specific feats.
  • Psi-Knight — a limited subset via Psi-Strike-style focus impulses.
  • Firestarter — impulses, not spells, but with psionic flavor.
  • Mystic — some psionic features via Awakening, but not pure psionic spells.

Non-psionic Occult casters (Warlock, baseline Mystic) can still cast non-psionic Occult spells normally; they cannot easily access psionic-tagged ones.