Arcane Fire, Lesser

This spell creates a fire that contains the essence of that element. It cannot be extinguished by any means except by Arcane Water or a spell to dispel the fire itself.

Description

Arcane Fire is a special form of the basic spell to create fire. It calls forth the very essential nature of the element of fire, creating a fire that is harder to extinguish, and burns longer—even without flammable materials.

While creating a spark to light a candle or campfire can be done with a simple, basic fire spell, calling forth Arcane Fire is something different altogether. Arcane Fire is created using what is known as one of the first, or “original spells.” The original spells were the first incantations that were gifted (or cursed) to humans—basic sorceries that all other spells flow from.

As the true essence of the element, Arcane Fire has special properties that normal fire does not. One property is that it can burn where no ready fuel exists—for example, it can burn on raw stone or even normal water. Another property is that it burns more intensely, and does an additional 2 points of damage each turn than normal fire. Finally, it cannot be extinguished by normal means—it can only be extinguished by Arcane Water or a spell to dispel the magic that feeds it.

All of the Magi in Sakhrat that follow the Evocation path of Fire know how to channel the essential fire. Most people cannot tell the difference, and confuse arcane fire with any magical fire—even when it burns on water! Much has been written by these great sorcerers about the nature of their chosen element, which can be found in their grimoires. Gaining access to those books, though, is terribly difficult and dangerous…

Stats

Magnitude: First.
Path: Evocation (Fire).
Arcane Cost: 3 AP.
Difficulty: Hard (-1).
Range: Line of sight, 30 ft.
Duration: 10 minutes per lifeblood expended in the spell. If any flammable materials are ignited, the fire will continue to burn until they are expended.
Damage: As normal fire, but with +2 damage.
Grimoire: Arcane Fire is widely known among pyromancers, but grasping the true nature of fire may be beyond other sorcerers. The spell would be common among sorcerers that deal deeply with fire, but uncommon otherwise.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for Arcane Fire include:

• Line of Sight. The caster must have clear view of the target or area to be set ablaze.
• Special Item. The caster must have some form of fetish or focus item to cast the spell, such as a ball of sulphur or crystal.
• Blood. The caster must personally suffer an additional 1d3+1 of lifeblood damage when the spell is cast.

This spell is of the First Magnitude, and creates an area of fire from the size of a candle light up to an area 10’ wide. Large fires, such as ones to burn a building, would be a Second Magnitude spell—with additional requirements.

Variations

The lesser form of this spell creates a fire in an area up to about 10 ft wide. The greater form of the spell can create a fire the size of a building—with additional requirements and greater costs. An Arcane Fire that would cover an area larger than a building would definitely be a Third Magnitude spell—and have a terrible cost.

Other variations could include different spell requirements, such as obvious technique or even minor corruption.

Design Notes

I first came across the idea of essential fire in GURPS, and really liked the idea. I liked the concept that the elements have a true nature, and that wizards who really understand that element can call it forth, with special properties.

I also liked the idea of “first spells.” I found that concept in an article over on the Manse website. (https://themansegaming.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-first-eight-spells.html). The idea that all spells are byproducts or reflections of a small number other original spells is pretty cool to me. I need to expand on that concept more in my campaign settings…

For the mechanics of Arcane Fire, I decided on two basic levels: a lesser and greater spell. Because it is a special form of fire, I did not want it to be a simple Cantrip—it had to be more difficult to call forth. Also, taking the example in the Mythic+ rules of destroying a door being First Magnitude and destroying the building being Second Magnitude, I settled on First Magnitude for the lesser form, and Second Magnitude for the greater one. A Third Magnitude form of the spell… that would be something that might create a terrible firestorm that would cover a village or town—and have a tremendous cost.

In looking at the requirements for the spell, I generally like the idea of some of the sorcerer’s blood being needed for the casting. That makes the spell personal and having a real cost. To me, that makes it fit in more with the Swords & Sorcery feel, too. The other requirements just seemed natural for a spell like this as well.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows:

• The base cost for a First Magnitude spell is 5 AP, with a minimum of 2.
• Like my version of the Staff spell, I wasn’t going for the absolute lowest cost, but just some items that make sense and to make it feel personal to the player.
• The need for Line of Sight seemed a natural fit. First requirement, 5 AP.
• A need for a Special Item was another requirement that seemed like a natural fit for a spell like this. This reduces the cost by 1, to 4 AP.
• The spell causes actual damage to the caster, in the form of his blood. Subtract 1 more AP, for a final cost of 3 AP.

Marc

Edit: Updated the duration to clarify flammable materials.