Pyromancy

Fire is the breath of life, it gives comfort and the ability to transform, but it's also a dangerous and destructive tool with a will of its own.

It's perhaps for this reason that Hobgoblins and their kin are drawn to its inherently untamable nature. Perhaps the fire illuminates their own lust for power.

The study of Pyromancy is first an arcane discipline and uses the base Magic-User class, however, it draws from a completely different spell list. They can additionally receive either Divine Lore or Blacksmithing at first level. They can choose to gain a free purchase in either of these skills at level up instead of the free purchase of Arcane Lore.

Pyromancy is seen as a divine art, and its practitioners are akin to clerics. Pyromancers are most common among the Hobgoblin tribes of the Ban-Skald and their Half-Hoblingoblin children. The study of fire channeling can found among other races, with Grel and the Arran'aki being the next most common, but its not even close to the numbers that the Hobgoblins produce.

CASTING AS A PYROMANCER
The fact that pyromancers draw their spells from the divine spell list but still use Spell Points may seem confusing, but there is an easy way to figure out your spell costs. It's identical to figuring out the spell point cost of regular magic user spells (spell level x 20 + 80 or spell level x 10 + 40 for memorized spells.). You treat divine spells just like regular arcane spells, and while you can't expend additional spell points to buff them you will still need to memorize them to get the reduced spell cost.

Spells that are marked with the asterisk are special, these are spells of pure fire that draw on the most primal power of pyromancy. These spells are fueled by the fire in a Pyromancers heart, and always have the benefits of a memorized spell. They come with the added bonus of being usable even if a pyromancer has lost his spell book, and are automatically learned during a level up.

Spell List Key:
MU = Arcane Spell List
ZG = Zealot's Guide followed by guide #.
PHB = Player's Handbook clerical spell list


A
Amplify Illumination (MUA)
Feat of Strength (MUA)
*Fire Finger (MUA)
Jolt (MUA)
Repair (MUA)
Springing (MUA)

J
Candlelight (MUJ)
Sense Magic Aura (MUJ)
Extend Fuel (PHB)
Moderate Personal Climate (PHB)
Sense Divine Magic (PHB)

1
Pepper Spray (MU1)
*Scorch (MU1)
Flash Bang (ZG4)
Aggravate Pain (PHB)
Moderate Elemental Damage (PHB)
Sterilize (PHB)
*Searing Metal (PHB)

2
Shocking Touch (MU2)
Smoke Screen (MU2)
Torchlight (MU2)
*Fire Breathing 1 (ZG3)
Detect Poison (PHB)
Endure Heat (PHB)
Illumination: Torch (PHB)

3
Bedazzle (MU3)
*Flaming Missiles (MU3)
Pyrotechnic Display (MU3)
Veil of Darkness (MU3)
White Hot Metal (MU3)
Withstand Fire (MU3)
Alleviate Trauma (PHB)
Endure Cold (PHB)
Rejuvenate (PHB)

4
Enfeeble (MU4)
Fracture Object (MU4)
*Skipping Betty Fireball (MU4)
Strength of the Boar (ZG2)
Illusionary Fire (ZG4)
*Flaming Weapon (PHB)
Re-energize (PHB)

5
Entrancing Lightshow (MU5)
Heat Seeking Fist of Thunder (MU5)
Massive Smoke Screen (MU5)
Munz's Bolt of Acid (MU5)
Illumination: Lateran (PHB)
Therapeutic Touch (PHB)

6
Boost Strength (MU6)
*Flame Ball (MU6)
Stink Bomb (MU6)
*Fire Breathing 2 (ZG3)
Bless Weapon (PHB)

7
Low Light Vision (MU7)
Strength of the Stag (ZG2)
Smoke on the Water (ZG3)
Extreme! (ZG3)
Invigorate (PHB)

8
Exploding Script (MU8)
Force Grenade (MU8)
Illumination (MU8)
*Fire Breathing 3 (ZG3)
Extinguish (PHB)

9
Infravision (MU9)
Lightning Bolt (MU9)
Resist Fire (MU9)
Alleviate Fatigue (PHB)
*Fiery Furnace (PHB)

10
*Fireball (MU10)
Power Attacks (ZG2)
Sunburst 1 (ZG6)
Bless Weaponry (PHB)

11
Chlorine Gas Cloud (MU11)
Claymore (MU11)
Dense Fog (MU11)
*Fire Breathing 4 (ZG3)

12
Strength of the Bear (ZG2)
Hex, Arcane Spellcaster (ZG2)
EXTREME!! (ZG3)
Shill o' the Wisp (ZG4)
Analgesic (PHB)
Resist Acid or Caustic (PHB)

13
*Firewall (MU13)
Mist of Corralling (MU13)
Toxic Web (MU13)
Daylight (ZG6)
Blessed Warmth (PHB)
*Pillar of Fire (PHB)

14
*Fireball Volley (MU14)
*Fire Breathing 5 (ZG3)
Mortal Combat (ZG3)
Sunburst 2 (ZG6)

15
Phosgene Gas Cloud (MU15)
Strength of the Bison (ZG2)
Solar Bludgeon (ZG6)
Antitoxin (PHB)
White Energy Shroud (PHB)

16
Night Fighters (MU16)
Light Beam (ZG6)
Bless Weapons (PHB)
Enervating Blast (PHB)

17
EXTREME!!! (ZG3)
*Molotov (ZG3)
*Hail to Fire (PHB)

18
*Torrential Fireball (MU18)
Wall of Bronze (MU18)
Action Hero (ZG3)

19
Strength of the Oliphant (ZG2)
Sunburst 3 (ZG6)
White Energy Shield (PHB)

20
Nerve Gas Cloud (MU20)
Dragonspeak (ZG2)
*Fire Strike (PHB)

Andalish Magic

During the War of Giants, the gawds sat in council and viewed the battlefield.

Their weapons of stone were weak against the iron and spells of their foes and only through force of will had they prevailed thus far but every day the Giants got closer to victory.

Something must be down, the four concluded, they would have to steal the Riddle of Iron from their enemies. So they turned to cunning Cassandra, who was as willy as she was beautiful.

Cassandra went out and came to the giant smith Hastigi robed in wild winter. She seduced him and learned his secrets, learned the secrets of metal.

The Lady lead Hastigi back to Indavoll where he was bound with imprisoned with his own iron and magic to serve as their smith and servant till the end of time. 

But Cassandra has a secret for from the union came a child, who bears no name. She head him on Andalis where he took his father's trade and taught it to the first Druids.

Andalish magic is forever linked with the outcast, the mule, and the half-breed. As such, the wild lands of the Young Kingdoms is dotted with hedge-mages living away from society but desperately needed by it, a love-hate relationship that has endured for ages.

While it has become divorced some from metal-working, the link between the two has never really disappeared in the minds of most of the Young Kingdoms and many Druids still practice ancient blacksmithing techniques to enchant blades with runes and secret blessing.

The process to become a Druid is a dangerous one and most don't make it. Children born under a certain moon and star position are taken to the local Druid to be put through the Trail of Marks, a horrible ritual in which the child receives his first tattoo: the Eye of the Chained One, two concentric circles on the forehead.

Most don't survive and die screaming, choking on their own blood.

Unwanted children, children born out of wedlock and bastards, as well as half-breeds, are also put through this ritual. Andalish custom puts more weight on the magical ability of such mules and it is a good way to get rid of the inconvenient child.

If the child lives through the Trail of Marks, he is apprenticed to the Druid, where his life becomes devoted to the study of Spearmetal. Most Druids are men.

Druids are the only Andals to worship the Chained One, the giant Hastigi, who taught them their trade. He is feared by the common Andal, being an enemy to their gawds since time immortal. His rites and rituals known only to his followers.

Magic Items and Runes

     Metal is magic but it is so much more then that. In a world where wizards receive their arcane power through tattooing bits of special metal into their skin, metal represents the holy meeting of the immortal and mortal. The earthy incantations connecting with divine invocations.

     Because of this, magic items, how they are acquired and how they are treated, will be different then your average fantasy game.

     The first thing you must realize is the scarcity of metal in the world. Despite being in a period called the Bronze or Iron Age, metal is still relatively uncommon and the secrets of working the material is a sacred art, with blacksmiths being seen as closer to priests then tradesman.

     Because of this each weapon (and piece of armor) is seen as inherently magically. In fact, your character probably didn't purchase anything made out of metal. It was handed down to him from his father and his father before him, a blade or pendent that symbolized the bond of kin and family.

     Your weapon should be an extension of your character's history and unlike in other games where your first sword will be casually tossed to the wayside when you find a newer, better model, your equipment will grow with you.

     That means that the dinky sword you start out the game with could end up being a legendary +5 sword of ass-kicking by the time you retire your character. However, for this to happen, some investment has to be poured into it.

     To start to qualify for this bonus you must have 3 basic things:

     First, your weapon has to have a name.

     Second is that it needs to be dedicated to a gawd. Blades anointed to the divine change when a new wielder takes them so this is a choice your character must have personally taken when they took ownership of the heirloom.

     Third should be a backstory to the weapon. I recommend this being some event that will hint at the special properties of the weapon.

     After this point, the growth of the weapon is linked to your character. Heroic actions and traits will rub off special properties over the course of the adventure though there is two things you should note.

     Really heroic deeds beget heroic weapons. If you just sit back and let others take the risk, expect that not only will your equipment because more magical more slowly then your compatriots but that they won't gain additional cool bonuses besides simply getting a +1 to attack and damage.

     Crowley's longbow, for example, might start giving him increased range in addition to pluses to hit, or Damien's sword giving its wielder a greater chance to detect lies or see illusions.

     You should also be aware that these abilities will sometimes overlap with your character's abilities and not stack. For instance, I may decide to have Damien's sword's detect lie ability not augment his own.

     What this means is that when that character passes on his weapon or armor, his proteges will reap the benefit. While Damien will get some use out of the sword because it'll give him a plus to attack and damage, Marian, his apprentice, will gain the real benefit, netting both the pluses and the detect lies, which may not be her class feature. 

     Ultimately, you will not have the final say in how your items gain magical power but there are things you can do to influence them. So far we've talked about naming your weapon and its backstory, both things will contribute how your weapon shapes up, and obviously, what your character does will have a huge impact on it as well, but your weapon will also be shaped by the gawd its dedicated to, so choose carefully.

     There is one last thing you can do to direct your weapon's latent magical properties and that's through Runes. Runes are sacred symbols and letters that are scribed into an object. These tend to be one or two simply words, such as accuracy, defense, speed, and so on but they can also be complex, such as sight, or wisdom.

     You may choose to use Runes or not but they should be kept to one word per weapon, shield, or armor piece.

Gaining Other Magical Items

     One final note: while I have been pretty much exclusively talking about weapons gaining magical properties it is only because I didn't want to have to type out all the things that can gain powers as you gain legend.

     Anything with metal in it can gain magical properties, whether that's a set of lock picks, crampons, a shield, a brush, a mirror, or even a rope with metal strands threaded into it. Additionally, armor pieces can gain individual powers or they can come together as a set and give even better bonuses.

     You may also have a weapon that gains a magical property that doesn't benefit you in combat at all or a ring that gives you some heroic warrior ability.

     These items don't play by different rules and so don't feel like you've gotten the shaft because you're playing a rogue and don't need a magical dagger, though they don't necessarily need a name or a backstory, they do need metal and a gawd that they're dedicated to. That will give him a heads up on which items you want to gain special properties. 

Treating Magical Weapons and Armor

     There is a draw back to the way magical weapons and armor are treated. It is in extremely poor taste to loot a weapon from a fallen opponent. If he was an honorable warrior, it is expected that you return his weapon to his family if possible or bury it with him. If it wasn't, it's expected that you destroy the weapon and allow the metal to return to the Shield and be purified before being forged again.

     The exception to this is truly legendary equipment, like Stormcaller or Grudge, which have no family to own it and the last wielder has been dead for some time. Weapons with no owners are free game, which means that it's perfectly okay for your hero to raid ancient tombs in search of a +5 Holy Avenger and not be violating his alignment.

     Shields and armor are on a case by case basis but for the most part you'll be okay looting it. though anything marked with a clan or tribe insignia should be buried or destroyed.

Stormcaller

     It's a one of the subtle ironies that the technique to forge the immaterial into the material was honed to perfection by man to fight the giants, the one's that taught them. In the age when giants warred with the gawds, the race of man often found themselves on the short end of the stick as collateral damage during the skirmishes. Man, who had been on one side and then the other, decided that it was time to do something about it.
     One man in particular, a druid by the name of Rostislav, took it as his personal calling to forge a blade that would keep the giants at bay. To this end, he took the sea breeze and created Stormcaller.

     Stormcaller is a two handed sword. Almost the length of a man, it's surprisingly light, probably because of a series of holes along the blade, which appears to be made of some sort of cold iron.
     While it can used in the traditional swordish manner, Stormcaller's main use is to, surprisingly, summon storms. By swinging the blade above your head, the weapon begins to let out a howl and soon the wielder becomes the center of a whirling maelstorm.

     The sword was surprisingly effective against the giants. While it wasn't lethal per se, the storms did act as a barrier to keep the giants at bay but as the war wound down and peace settled, Stormcaller fell into misuse. Well, for a time. After all, man are eternally creative when it comes to the destruction of their own kind.
     Stormcaller was used by the kings of Balmorn to forge their kingdoms, using its power to scatter enemy forces and flood enemy camps.
     It is perhaps because of this over use that caused the weapon's downfall. As the Queen of Fallkirk's madness began to destroy her mind, many at court became worried by the fact that she held such raw power in her hands. A troubled young priest of the Morrigan, Jahn Wytcliffe, took a terrible risk that no one else would take.
     Stealing the sword at night, the priest fled to the highlands. He spent 5 years in exile before being captured and dragged before the queen for treason. When told to recant and reveal the location of the druidic blade, Jahn was heard to whisper "I will fight the world, but I will not fight my conscience."

     Jahn Wytcliffe was burned at the stake in the Plaza of Broken Spears.

     Stormcaller remains lost to this day but hope still lasts that it might still be found.