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THE CASTLE MAGE
By Tim Martin
Just as the sea mage appeared to provide
a measure of equity for ships against magical attacks and sea
creatures, the castle mage has appeared to aid castles and troops
in defending fixed land fortifications. The sea mage has spells
to combat sea creatures (Shipshock), fires and fire-based attacks
(Cloudburst, Precipitation, Flamedouse, and Flame Resistance),
physical damage to the ship (Repair Breech, Plug Leak, Phantom
Sail), and the danger of underwater obstacles (Depth Warning
and Collision Alarm) - all designed to increase the lifespan
and effectiveness of a ship. Why should not castles, forts, and
towers have similar aid? In a world of giants, dragons, elementals,
and powerful wizards, this only makes sense.
By necessity, some of the spells formerly
unique to the sea mage are present in this group of spells. The
sea mage provided a great deal of inspiration for me for this
group of spells, and the primary articles in which that information
is located included the two wonderful articles in Dragon Magazine
# 235 (November 1996), "Mage on Deck" by Ted Zuvich
and "Arcane Lore I: Sea Spells" by Brain Dunnell. Other
sea mage type spells can be found in the excellent Al-Qadim:
Arabian Adventures by Jeff Grubb (1992).
If one has access to the above sources,
I recommend the following spells for any decent castle mage:
From "Mage on Deck" by Ted
Zuvich: Cure Lumber (for aid in building wooden fortresses),
Detect Structural Flaw, Preserve (for castle stores of food),
Protection from Rust, Vermin-ward (which incidentally may stop
Insect Plague and Creeping Doom), Eagle-vision (to spot approaching
attackers), Flamedouse, Intruder Alert, and Robust Construction.
From "Arcane Lore I: Sea Spells" I recommend Flame
Resistance and Otiluke's Screen. From the Arabian Adventures
tome Waterbane is nice, though I include it primarily as
it is the source for Shipshock, the basis for my Castleshock
spell.
Castle mages arrived originally from
the world of Toril, but soon spread to other realms such as Oerth
and Mystra. They are closely related to sea mages, in that they
are not mages who specialize in a form of magic, such as elemental
substances or illusions, but rather towards fulfilling a role
- the protection of castles.
Otherwise castle mages are similar to
wizards as far as races this class is open to, weapon restrictions,
numbers of weapon and non-weapon proficiencies, hit points, saving
throws, spells available per level, and experience point numbers
needed to advance.
SECOND LEVEL
Aim Bonus (Alteration)
| Range: |
Touch |
| Duration: |
1 turn/level |
| AE: |
Creature touched |
| Comp: |
V,S |
| CT: |
2 |
By means of this spell, the individual
touched gains +1 on "to hit rolls" using any missile
attack, be it crossbow, arrow, or siege engine. This spell is
primarily of use to castle mages to increase the effectiveness
of a castle or fort's archer and crossbowmen contingents, or
even more effectively to make a land fortifications ballistae,
mangonels, and catapults more effective.
Plug Hole (Alteration)
| Range: |
10 Comp |
| Duration: |
2 hours + 1 turn
per level |
| AE: |
Special |
| Comp: |
V,S |
| CT: |
4 |
This spell creates invisible walls of force
that plug small holes in a castle, fort, wall, etc. and otherwise
temporarily repair similar structural damage. Like the 2nd level
sea mage spell plug leak (in "Arcane Lore I: Sea Spells"),
it repairs one point of structural damage per two levels of the
castle mage to a maximum of 10 structural points. Unlike the
sea mage spell however, it repairs stone and metal (though not
earth) as well. These force barriers eventually weaken and break,
but they allow time for proper repairs to be conducted.
THIRD LEVEL
Heal Earth (Alteration)
| Range: |
Touch Duration |
| Duration: |
Permanent |
| AE: |
Special |
| Comp: |
V,S |
| CT: |
1 round |
This spell will completely restore the
structural points to any construction of stone, earth, or wall
such as a wall or a tower, but at the rate of 1 structural point
per round for as many rounds as needed. Structures that have
already been destroyed are not aided by this spell. The material
component is a small gemstone worth at least 50 gp.
Phantom Guard (Illusion/Phantasm)
| Range: |
0 |
| Duration: |
5 rounds/level |
| AE: |
6 radius around
targets |
| Comp: |
V,S,M |
| CT: |
5 |
Related to mirror image and Crew of Phantoms
(from "Mage on Deck"), this spell provides 2d4 exact
duplicates of every individual on or in a particular structure
(keep, gatehouse, one wall), up to a maximum of 30 people. Each
real individual must be carrying a "badge" worth 10
gp, which need not be visible. The badges are not consumed by
the spell. Otherwise, the spell acts if all members of a castle's
guards in a certain area had a mirror image spell placed upon
them.
Shield Structure (Evocation)
| Range: |
Touch AE |
| Duration: |
see below |
| AE: |
One structure |
| Comp: |
V,S,M |
| CT: |
3 |
This spell shields one structure and its
occupants; the structure and the occupants gain a +1 to saves
that pass through the shield that lasts as long as the shield
is up. Also, the occupants each are protected from 1d6 hit points
per level of the castle mage of physical damage, and the structure
is protected from 1 structural point per level of the caster.
When BOTH structural damage and physical damage protection has
been exceeded, than the shield expires. Otherwise, the spell
lasts 1 day/level of the castle mage. The castle mage need not
concentrate or even be anywhere near the shield structure spell
after having been cast. Multiple shields CAN be cast, though
each additional shield takes twice the spell casting time. Shield
structure works excellent against aerial and artillery attacks.
Material component is a small gemstone
worth at least 75 gp.
FOURTH LEVEL
Create Hoarding (Evocation)
| Range: |
50 yards |
| Duration: |
Permanent |
| AE: |
see below |
| Comp: |
V,S,M |
| CT: |
5 segments |
This spell creates a wooden hoarding, which
are generally structures built atop a wall to allow defenders
to stand over the wall's base and rain down missiles and other
substances directly on enemies attacking the wall. The hoarding
created gives three-quarters missile cover those inside, can
accommodate 10 human-sized individuals, and has 2-4 structural
points.
Material component is a broken arrow
shaft and an iron nail, both consumed in the casting.
Protection from Elementals (Enchantment)
| Range: |
30 yards +10 yards/level |
| Duration: |
1 turn/level |
| AE: |
1 turn/level |
| Comp: |
V,S,M |
| CT: |
5 segments |
For the duration of the spell, all elementals
cannot attack a structure, be it a wall, tower, keep, or gatehouse.
They cannot approach within 10 yards of it. If they are of higher
than low intelligence, i.e. genies, they can save vs. spells
at a -4 penalty to the roll. The effects on an individual controlling
an elemental are negated; they still maintain control, but cannot
order the elemental to attach the protected structure. One of
the worse threats to any castle or fort are the terror of elementals,
most particularly earth elementals. Wooden forts and structures
fear fire elementals.
Restore Earth (Alteration)
| Range: |
Touch |
| Duration: |
Permanent |
| AE: |
special |
| Comp: |
V,S,M |
| CT: |
1 round |
This spell allows a castle mage to restore
structural points to a structure comprised of either stone, earth,
or metal at the rate of 1 structural point per level of the castle
mage. The spell cannot restore a castle wall that has been smashed
into gravel or a gate that has been destroyed - some structural
points must remain in order for the spell to work. The material
component is a piece of loam or earth mixed with scraps of metal,
preferably iron or steel.
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