Pyromancer [PrC] [3.X/PF]

[The Stormrunner]

PYROMANCER
By Fire be Purged



"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. "
~Plutarch

THE WAY OF FLAMES
To many arcane spellcasters, the allure of magic is quite literally its fire -- evokers, conjurers, and the scions of dragons and elementals alike all have a supernatural proclivity towards fiery spells and explosive arcana. For some, there is a special calling to master the intricacies and subtle craft of manipulating fire. These pyromancers master the living spirits of fire and burn their foes with magic flames the likes of which few others can match, even piercing magical protection against their chosen element. By binding a fire elemental's essence to their own souls, they become near-perfect embodiments of flame -- even going so far as to master the secrets of the phoenix, rising from the ashes of their own deaths...

But at what cost?

REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a pyromancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
Feats: Energy Substitution (Fire), Explosive Spell.
Languages: Ignan.
Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells from the schools of Evocation or Conjuration.

Hit Die: d4
{TABLE=HEAD]Class Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Known/Spells per Day
1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Hellfire Affinity|—
2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Combustion|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Metaflame Mastery|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Magefire|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Burnt Offering, By Fire be Purged|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Improved Combustion|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Immolation|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Align Flame|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Improved Magefire|+1 level arcane spellcasting class
10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Rise of the Phoenix|—[/TABLE]

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier):
The pyromancer's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

CLASS FEATURES
Armor and Weapon Proficiencies:
Pyromancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells Known/Spells per Day
At each pyromancer level except 1st and 10th, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she added the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before she became a pyromancer, she must decide to which class she adds each level of pyromancer for the purposes of determining spells per day.

Hellfire Affinity
Working exclusively with fiery spells conditions a pyromancer to know the dangers of fire both obvious and subtle, and she learns to magically resist its harmful effects, often turning them to her own advantage. She gains a +2 bonus on saves against spells with the [Fire] descriptor cast on her that allow saving throws.

Additionally, the pyromancer gains fire resistance 15 and casts spells with the [Fire] descriptor with a bonus to her CL equal to half her pyromancer level.

Combustion
At 2nd level, a pyromancer’s ability to magically produce flame intensifies. When applying the metamagic feats Explosive Spell or Searing Spell to a spell with the [Fire] descriptor, increase all damage die rolled by one step, including those rolled as a result of Explosive Spell. Additionally, increase the DC of Explosive Spell’s Reflex save by half your pyromancer level.

Metaflame Mastery
Beginning at 3rd level, a pyromancer’s fire becomes exceptionally malleable in terms of metamagic. She may apply metamagic feats to spells with the [Fire] descriptor at a -1 decreased cost in spell level.

The level of a spell modified by Metaflame Mastery may not be reduced below its original level +1.

Magefire
At 4th level, spells with the [Fire] descriptor cast by the pyromancer gain a bonus to overcome spell resistance equal to her pyromancer level. Additionally, she ignores damage limits placed by spell descriptions for spells with the [Fire] descriptor (a 4th-level pyromancer with 10 levels of sorcerer, for example, rolls 14d6 when casting fireball instead of the ordinary 10d6).

Burnt Offering
By 5th level, the pyromancer has garnered enough attention from the denizens of the Elemental Plane of Fire to turn to them in supplication for power. In a summoning ritual that takes 24 hours, the pyromancer calls an elemental spirit of fire and binds it to herself, warping her physical appearance with the features of a fire genasi. These changes range from the overt -- like orange or red hair and glowing, coal-like eyes -- to the subtle, such as a perpetual scent of smoke or unnaturally warm skin.

As a result of the ritual, the pyromancer permanently gains the Fire subtype and Searing Spell as a bonus feat if she did not already have it. In addition, she may spend an hour in meditation once per day to temporarily change her type to native outsider for 24 hours. If she prepares spells each morning, this hour may occur at the same time as her spell preparation.

A pyromancer who gains the native outsider type in this way is healed by fire damage for the duration of the 24 hours.

By Fire be Purged
The intensity of a pyromancer’s fire lasts well beyond the initial burst of heat. At 5th level, any target the pyromancer damages with a spell with the [Fire] descriptor continues to burn, taking half the damage dealt again at the beginning of their next turn.

Improved Combustion
At 6th level, the pyromancer need not apply Explosive Spell or Searing spell in order to gain the damage benefits of Combustion.

Immolation (Su)
At 7th level, the pyromancer gains a perpetual aura of flame, which deals 1d6 fire damage per pyromancer level to enemies within her unarmed melee reach at the beginning of her turn. She may suppress or intensify this aura as a swift action a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma bonus, gaining one of the following benefits for 1 hour following the activation:

-Suppress: The pyromancer internalizes the flames rolling off her body, purging
it of temperature-based weaknesses. She loses any vulnerability to cold and gains endure elements as a supernatural ability while the aura is Suppressed. The aura loses its damage-to-melee-attackers capability.

-Intensify: The aura’s damage to melee attackers increases to 1d8 per character level.

She may stop suppressing or intensifying her aura as an immediate action, if she wishes to do so before the hour has elapsed.

Align Flame
At 8th level, a pyromancer’s fire becomes characteristic of her alignment-- a chaotic pyromancer’s flames might dance and change color, for example, while an evil pyromancer’s may be dark in hue and produce an exceptional amount of smoke.

When she deals damage with a spell with the [Fire] descriptor, the pyromancer may choose to treat the damage as being of her alignment for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Improved Magefire
At 9th level, a pyromancer’s [Fire] spells ignore spell resistance and fire resistance altogether.

Rise of the Phoenix (Su)
When a pyromancer attains 10th level, she becomes intrinsically familiar with magical flame. Whenever she is dropped below 0 hit points, she may use Rise of the Phoenix as an immediate action, ascending to near-divine levels of mastery over fire.
Upon using this ability, she spends one round recuperating on the Elemental Plane of Fire. At the beginning of her next turn, she returns to her original point of death with her maximum number of hit points and a Flight speed equal to twice her highest movement speed with perfect maneuverability. This Flight speed lasts for one hour following the pyromancer’s resurrection.

COMMENTARY

Spoiler

Show

Hello, folks! This is the first of a few prestige classes I've done that I'll be posting. The pyromancer is meant to be an arcane blaster PrC with quite a bit of flavor to it, but not so much that it wholly defines the character taking it. There are quite a few different spins you could put on this, in fact, since WotC seems fond of their fiery folk-- dragons, efreet, genasi, devils, tieflings, elementals, and what have you. Beyond the initial motif of "fire magic," it's really anyone's game.

Feel free to post any questions, suggestions, or criticisms.

[vasharanpaladin]

Searing Spell should come earlier, or else Burnt Offering should include a caveat for if you have Searing Spell already. And it might just be me, but I feel as though Metaflame Mastery should allow Explosive Spell or Searing Spell to be even cheaper... allow one of the two for no spell slot adjustment?

Aside from that, I now desperately wish to play this. Along with T.G. Oskar's warmage fix for maximum burnination.

[Wolfer]

Rise of the Phoenix seems rather powerful, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be better to have it only be usable once per day, perhaps even once per week? After all it is a free true resurrection with a fly speed added on it...

[CDTalmas]

If I might make a recommendation, this class will ultimately fail against creatures with Fire Immunity. True, as a spellcaster you're likely to gain access to other spells but this is the schtick of the Pyromancer: Fire! Perhaps against creatures with Fire Immunity, the damage counts as Hellfire or Infernal, so as to still contribute to the fight while taking out the bonuses from above (aka, still damage capped and must roll for SR, etc.).

[Edit]Also, Align Flame? Fire damage shouldn't be reduced by DR under any circumstance...[/Edit]

[Edit2]Rise of the Phoenix 1/day perhaps? Otherwise there's no threat of death ever.[/Edit2]

[vasharanpaladin]

If I might make a recommendation, this class will ultimately fail against creatures with Fire Immunity.

Searing Spell says "hi." That's why I recommended it be gotten earlier in the advancement.

EDIT: And Aligned Flame means your hellfire can pierce alignment-keyed regeneration. Currently running Essence of Evil and finding something like this would be damn useful when the black cysts show up.

[CDTalmas]

Searing Spell is still only 1/2 effective. I'm recommending 100% damage against Fire Immune creatures but reducing most of the classes benefits otherwise (damage caps, SR bypass, etc.). Also, the ability Align Flame specifies "damage reduction." If it automatically applies toward Regeneration, that's fine then.