Realms of Chaos
2011-03-06, 01:36 AM
It has always struck me as a tad bit odd that of all the casters that someone can use to accomplish fear or intimidation, blasters are used so rarely. We seem so fond of casters who can call the living dead, discover forbidden secrets, or who can scry on anybody for unknown purposes at any time (*looks over shoulder*) but we blatantly ignore the entire school of magic that seems to scream out “I’m gonna blow up the world!” To remedy this problem, here is the pyromaniac (better name desired), a fire-based class that could easily start an apocalypse at high levels and that denotes an unhealthy fixation with destructive forces that threatens to boil over into total madness. hope you guys enjoy.
The Pyromaniac
“Mindless Destruction? No, my friend, I fear that you are mistaken. The goal of my endeavors is nothing so complex. I simply want to watch this world burn, if only it would burn bright enough… why won’t the world burn bright enough… just want to see it burn but it burns so dimly… WHY WON’T THIS WORLD BURN PROPERLY?”
-Jason Carhaps, Pyromaniac
Wherever there is magic, there are a few individuals with an unhealthy fixation with it. Many of the popular “villains” among magical folk, ranging from necromancers with their dark lore to alienists and their unspeakable secrets to fleshwarpers and their insatiable need to alter others, all fall into this category. One form of such arcane obsession that only rarely reaches such lists is the desire that some spellcasters hold to simply burn down the world around them. As such obvious and dangerous fixations are likely to be caught during training or else prove fatal while training oneself, only a few spellcasters with this obsession survive long enough to truly pursue their goals. What this means, however, is that the few spellcasters who do survive with this fixation are, at least initially, good at suppressing their desires and passing off as normal. The grim wishes burnt into the minds of these pyromaniacs, however, is often anything but sane.
Prerequisites
Alignment: Any non-good or non-lawful
Feats: Energy Substitution (Fire)
Spells: The ability to cast up to 4th level spells, including at least five spells with the fire descriptor.
Hit Die: d6
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Spellcasting
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Burning Essence I, Intense Conflagration 1d6, Above Mere Flames |
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Local Heat Wave, Unstoppable Flames |
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Call from Fire, Intense Conflagration 2d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Burning Essence II, Greater Heat Wave|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Ashes to Ashes, Intense Conflagration 3d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Dire Heat Wave, Sense Heat|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Burning Essence III, Intense Conflagration 4d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Burning Psyche, Heat of the Core|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Intense Conflagration 5d6, Oblivion|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Burning Essence IV, Lord of the Flames|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class[/table]
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the pyromaniac prestige class.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spell known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a pyromaniac, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Burning Essence (Su): Your soul has been set ablaze, allowing you to spread flame to the world with far more efficiency and allowing flame alone to sustain you. At 1st level, any creature or flammable object that you deal fire damage to (whether through magical or mundane means) must make a Reflex save or catch fire (DMG p303) if this would not normally be the case. Furthermore, you need not eat or drink so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous).
At 4th level, any creature or object that catches fire due to fire damage you have dealt (whether through magical or mundane means) transfers this fire to all flammable substances that they come into contact with. Attended objects and creatures may make Reflex saves to avoid catching fire as normal. A flame may travel no further than 10 feet in a single round in this way in a given direction. You need not sleep so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous).
At 7th level, flames that you create (whether through magical or mundane means) treat all solid and liquid substances (including water) as being flammable. Dousing flames with water or dirt, therefore, does not help to put out the flames (though the dirt or water may catch fire as well thanks to this class feature). Flames spread along normally noncombustible materials at a far slower rate, however, traveling no further than 5 feet per day in a given direction (and thus burning itself out in most circumstances). You need not breathe so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous)
At 10th level, flames that you create can continue (whether through mamgical or mundane means) indefinitely without fuel. Even when smothered or otherwise cut off from air, these fires can continue burning brightly. You do not age so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous)
Somewhat counter-intuitively, your bond with the flames you create allows you to recall their essence. As a free action, you can put out any number of flames that you have started, whether by mundane or magical means and regardless of whether you started them directly or indirectly.
Intense Conflagration (Su): Your body is filled with the essence of fire, allowing you to create more intense flames that possess a variety of effects. Firstly, with a melee touch attack, you may deal the indicated amount of fire damage and the target must succeed on a Reflex save to prevent catching fire. Similarly, all creatures grappling you take this damage each round that they continue the grapple.
Also, any spell with the fire descriptor that you cast and deals damage to a foe deals additional fire damage as indicated on the table above. Creatures who you set on fire (whether through magical or mundane means) take additional fire damage each round as listed on the table above and the save DC to avoid catching fire and to put out such as fire is increased by your class level.
Lastly, your flames are also capable of protecting you, dealing the indicated damage to all manufactured weapons that strike you. Any weapon destroyed in this way fails to deal damage to you.
Above Mere Flames: As you proceed as a pyromaniac, your flames start to become more than flames as normal flames stop concerning you. You gain fire resistance 5 per class level and sources of fire damage that you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) automatically ignore up to 5 points of fire resistance per class level.
Furthermore, sources of fire damage that you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) are incapable of harming you. You also gain immunity to heat dangers and the effects of smoke.
Local Heat Wave: The very presence of a pyromaniac is enough to carry heat, raising the temperature of their environment. Starting at 2nd level, the area within a 1,000 foot/level-radius emanation centered on you experiences a heat wave. The temperature band within the area rises by two steps or to severe heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +1 caster level. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again.
Unstoppable Flames (Su): Starting at 2nd level, your flames are almost impossible to stop. You may cast spells and spell-like abilities with the [fire] descriptor without penalty underwater and succeed on all Concentration and Spellcraft checks made to use such ability (but not on checks made to cast them defensively). Also, all caster level checks made to dispel magical fire effects you have cast take a penalty equal to your class level.
Call from Flame (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you can breathe a bit of life into the flames that you love and create. While within 30 feet of a flame, you may spend a standard action to summon one or more fire elementals into the space occupied by the flame and/or into any adjacent space. Each day, you may summon a number of fire elementals in this way whose total HD adds up to twice your character level. Elementals created in this way are incapable of harming you and last for 1 hour (or until you revoke them like a normal flame) but aren’t under your control. The burn ability of these fire elementals benefit from all appropriate class features you control.
Greater Heat Wave (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can produce extreme conditions of heat in a 100-foot/level-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises by three steps or to extreme heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +2 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave ability.
Ashes to Ashes (Su): Starting at 5th level, the flames that you create quickly reduce the world around you to nothing but ashes. Sources of fire damage that you have created (magical or mundane, directly or indirectly) don’t halve damage against objects and ignore hardness. In addition, all creatures and objects destroyed by such sources of fire damage are quickly reduced to fine ash in a single round, as are you if or when you should die.
Sense Heat (Su): Despite what one would expect from your close proximity to fire, you have become adept at picking up even the slightest changes of heat in the world around you. Starting at 6th level, you can perfectly see all living creatures and other sources of heat within 100 feet, even if they are invisible, possess concealment, and/or are hidden behind barriers up to 5 feet in total thickness.
Dire Heat Wave (Su): Beginning at 6th level, you can produce almost unnatural levels of heat in a 10-foot/level-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises by four steps or to unearthly heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +3 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave and greater heat wave abilities.
Burning Psyche (Su): Given enough time, even your mind will be filled with nothing but burning flames. Starting at 8th level, whenever you are targeted by a mind-affecting effect, the caster must make a Will save (DC 10 + Class level + your spellcasting ability modifier). If the target fails, they take 5d6 points of fire damage and the mind-affecting effect fails to reach you. If the target succeeds, they take half damage but the mind-affecting effect affects you as normal.
Core of Heat (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can produce almost unthinkable levels of heat in a 5-foot-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises to burning heat. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +4 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave, greater heat wave, or dire heat wave abilities.
Oblivion (Su): At 9th level, you learn how to use flames in the world around you to concentrate a singe, concentrated blast. Once per encounter, As a full-round action, you may instantly extinguish all flames within a 30-foot-radius emanation centered on yourself. For each square in which flames were extinguished in this way, all creatures within range of the emanation take 2d6 fire damage, or half with a successful reflex save (DC 10 + class level + spellcasting ability modifier).
Lord of Flames (Su): At 10th level, you become a lord over all forms of flame. You gain the fire subtype, gaining immunity to fire damage and in fact heal half of any fire damage that you would otherwise be dealt by any source. Unlike other creatures with the fire subtype, you possess no special weakness against cold damage.
In addition, sources of fire damage you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) ignore any resistance or immunity to fire damage that a target may posses.
Lastly, all creatures with the (fire) subtype must make a Will save (DC 10 + Class level + your spellcasting ability modifier) in order to take any aggressive action against you.
The Pyromaniac
“Mindless Destruction? No, my friend, I fear that you are mistaken. The goal of my endeavors is nothing so complex. I simply want to watch this world burn, if only it would burn bright enough… why won’t the world burn bright enough… just want to see it burn but it burns so dimly… WHY WON’T THIS WORLD BURN PROPERLY?”
-Jason Carhaps, Pyromaniac
Wherever there is magic, there are a few individuals with an unhealthy fixation with it. Many of the popular “villains” among magical folk, ranging from necromancers with their dark lore to alienists and their unspeakable secrets to fleshwarpers and their insatiable need to alter others, all fall into this category. One form of such arcane obsession that only rarely reaches such lists is the desire that some spellcasters hold to simply burn down the world around them. As such obvious and dangerous fixations are likely to be caught during training or else prove fatal while training oneself, only a few spellcasters with this obsession survive long enough to truly pursue their goals. What this means, however, is that the few spellcasters who do survive with this fixation are, at least initially, good at suppressing their desires and passing off as normal. The grim wishes burnt into the minds of these pyromaniacs, however, is often anything but sane.
Prerequisites
Alignment: Any non-good or non-lawful
Feats: Energy Substitution (Fire)
Spells: The ability to cast up to 4th level spells, including at least five spells with the fire descriptor.
Hit Die: d6
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Spellcasting
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Burning Essence I, Intense Conflagration 1d6, Above Mere Flames |
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Local Heat Wave, Unstoppable Flames |
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3|Call from Fire, Intense Conflagration 2d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Burning Essence II, Greater Heat Wave|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Ashes to Ashes, Intense Conflagration 3d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Dire Heat Wave, Sense Heat|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Burning Essence III, Intense Conflagration 4d6|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Burning Psyche, Heat of the Core|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Intense Conflagration 5d6, Oblivion|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class
10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Burning Essence IV, Lord of the Flames|
+1 Level of Existing Spellcasting Class[/table]
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the pyromaniac prestige class.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spell known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a pyromaniac, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Burning Essence (Su): Your soul has been set ablaze, allowing you to spread flame to the world with far more efficiency and allowing flame alone to sustain you. At 1st level, any creature or flammable object that you deal fire damage to (whether through magical or mundane means) must make a Reflex save or catch fire (DMG p303) if this would not normally be the case. Furthermore, you need not eat or drink so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous).
At 4th level, any creature or object that catches fire due to fire damage you have dealt (whether through magical or mundane means) transfers this fire to all flammable substances that they come into contact with. Attended objects and creatures may make Reflex saves to avoid catching fire as normal. A flame may travel no further than 10 feet in a single round in this way in a given direction. You need not sleep so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous).
At 7th level, flames that you create (whether through magical or mundane means) treat all solid and liquid substances (including water) as being flammable. Dousing flames with water or dirt, therefore, does not help to put out the flames (though the dirt or water may catch fire as well thanks to this class feature). Flames spread along normally noncombustible materials at a far slower rate, however, traveling no further than 5 feet per day in a given direction (and thus burning itself out in most circumstances). You need not breathe so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous)
At 10th level, flames that you create can continue (whether through mamgical or mundane means) indefinitely without fuel. Even when smothered or otherwise cut off from air, these fires can continue burning brightly. You do not age so long as you remain within 30 feet of a flame for at least one hour each day (this time need not be continuous)
Somewhat counter-intuitively, your bond with the flames you create allows you to recall their essence. As a free action, you can put out any number of flames that you have started, whether by mundane or magical means and regardless of whether you started them directly or indirectly.
Intense Conflagration (Su): Your body is filled with the essence of fire, allowing you to create more intense flames that possess a variety of effects. Firstly, with a melee touch attack, you may deal the indicated amount of fire damage and the target must succeed on a Reflex save to prevent catching fire. Similarly, all creatures grappling you take this damage each round that they continue the grapple.
Also, any spell with the fire descriptor that you cast and deals damage to a foe deals additional fire damage as indicated on the table above. Creatures who you set on fire (whether through magical or mundane means) take additional fire damage each round as listed on the table above and the save DC to avoid catching fire and to put out such as fire is increased by your class level.
Lastly, your flames are also capable of protecting you, dealing the indicated damage to all manufactured weapons that strike you. Any weapon destroyed in this way fails to deal damage to you.
Above Mere Flames: As you proceed as a pyromaniac, your flames start to become more than flames as normal flames stop concerning you. You gain fire resistance 5 per class level and sources of fire damage that you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) automatically ignore up to 5 points of fire resistance per class level.
Furthermore, sources of fire damage that you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) are incapable of harming you. You also gain immunity to heat dangers and the effects of smoke.
Local Heat Wave: The very presence of a pyromaniac is enough to carry heat, raising the temperature of their environment. Starting at 2nd level, the area within a 1,000 foot/level-radius emanation centered on you experiences a heat wave. The temperature band within the area rises by two steps or to severe heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +1 caster level. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again.
Unstoppable Flames (Su): Starting at 2nd level, your flames are almost impossible to stop. You may cast spells and spell-like abilities with the [fire] descriptor without penalty underwater and succeed on all Concentration and Spellcraft checks made to use such ability (but not on checks made to cast them defensively). Also, all caster level checks made to dispel magical fire effects you have cast take a penalty equal to your class level.
Call from Flame (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you can breathe a bit of life into the flames that you love and create. While within 30 feet of a flame, you may spend a standard action to summon one or more fire elementals into the space occupied by the flame and/or into any adjacent space. Each day, you may summon a number of fire elementals in this way whose total HD adds up to twice your character level. Elementals created in this way are incapable of harming you and last for 1 hour (or until you revoke them like a normal flame) but aren’t under your control. The burn ability of these fire elementals benefit from all appropriate class features you control.
Greater Heat Wave (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can produce extreme conditions of heat in a 100-foot/level-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises by three steps or to extreme heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +2 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave ability.
Ashes to Ashes (Su): Starting at 5th level, the flames that you create quickly reduce the world around you to nothing but ashes. Sources of fire damage that you have created (magical or mundane, directly or indirectly) don’t halve damage against objects and ignore hardness. In addition, all creatures and objects destroyed by such sources of fire damage are quickly reduced to fine ash in a single round, as are you if or when you should die.
Sense Heat (Su): Despite what one would expect from your close proximity to fire, you have become adept at picking up even the slightest changes of heat in the world around you. Starting at 6th level, you can perfectly see all living creatures and other sources of heat within 100 feet, even if they are invisible, possess concealment, and/or are hidden behind barriers up to 5 feet in total thickness.
Dire Heat Wave (Su): Beginning at 6th level, you can produce almost unnatural levels of heat in a 10-foot/level-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises by four steps or to unearthly heat, whichever produces the hotter result. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +3 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave and greater heat wave abilities.
Burning Psyche (Su): Given enough time, even your mind will be filled with nothing but burning flames. Starting at 8th level, whenever you are targeted by a mind-affecting effect, the caster must make a Will save (DC 10 + Class level + your spellcasting ability modifier). If the target fails, they take 5d6 points of fire damage and the mind-affecting effect fails to reach you. If the target succeeds, they take half damage but the mind-affecting effect affects you as normal.
Core of Heat (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can produce almost unthinkable levels of heat in a 5-foot-radius emanation. The temperature band in that area rises to burning heat. Within this area, spells with the fire descriptor are cast as +4 caster levels. You can suppress this effect for 1 round as a free action, but it renews automatically on your next turn unless you consciously suppress it again. This ability does not stack with your local heat wave, greater heat wave, or dire heat wave abilities.
Oblivion (Su): At 9th level, you learn how to use flames in the world around you to concentrate a singe, concentrated blast. Once per encounter, As a full-round action, you may instantly extinguish all flames within a 30-foot-radius emanation centered on yourself. For each square in which flames were extinguished in this way, all creatures within range of the emanation take 2d6 fire damage, or half with a successful reflex save (DC 10 + class level + spellcasting ability modifier).
Lord of Flames (Su): At 10th level, you become a lord over all forms of flame. You gain the fire subtype, gaining immunity to fire damage and in fact heal half of any fire damage that you would otherwise be dealt by any source. Unlike other creatures with the fire subtype, you possess no special weakness against cold damage.
In addition, sources of fire damage you create (whether magical or mundane and whether directly or indirectly) ignore any resistance or immunity to fire damage that a target may posses.
Lastly, all creatures with the (fire) subtype must make a Will save (DC 10 + Class level + your spellcasting ability modifier) in order to take any aggressive action against you.