Candle Caster"Let your mind attain the perfection of a single, perfect flame."- Excasard the Brilliant, Human Candle Caster
Flame holds a special attraction to some people. Simply burning, a candle is a work of art—a teardrop of fire clinging to the dark wick, itself shrouded in a column of wax that is both the flame’s base and fuel: a wonder indeed. Secrets could be stored in that wax: secrets... or spells. Also called «spell chandlers», these specialists fill their time fashioning candles, both for esthetics and for power. The spells stored therein are revealed as the flame ignites and disperses the wax medium. Moreover, the wax itself shapes and molds stored spells so that they are enhanced by the burning flame.
Making a Candle CasterCandle casters have quicker access to featlike abilities that enhance the effects of their candle-stored spells, and so they are often wooed by adventuring companies who have realized the importance of consumable magic items in the dungeon depths. NPC candle casters sometimes appear in places where magic is sold, attempting to sell their unfettered candles (which can be used by anyone) on an equal footing with potions. However, lighting a candle is more difficult than drinking a potion and takes longer to produce an effect, so unfettered candles are unlikely to ever reach the popularity that potions enjoy.
Abilities: Intelligence is the ability that the Candle Caster uses to give him extra spells.
Races: Candle Caster appear amongst all races, for their talents are widespread.
Alignment: Candle Caster can be of any alignment, and there is no bias in any one direction.
Table 1: The Candle CasterLevel BAB Ref Fort Will Abilities 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Summon Familiar, Candle Casting 3 1 — — — — — — — —
2 +1 +1 +1 +3 4 2 — — — — — — — —
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 4 2 1 — — — — — — —
4 +2 +2 +2 +4 Unfettered Candle 4 3 2 — — — — — — —
5 +2 +2 +2 +4 Metamagic Candle 4 3 2 1 — — — — — —
6 +3 +3 +3 +5 4 3 3 2 — — — — — —
7 +3 +3 +3 +5 4 4 3 2 1 — — — — —
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Dipped Candle 4 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — — —
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Metamagic Candle 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — — —
11 +5 +3 +3 +7 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — —
12 +6 +4 +4 +8 Quick Light 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — —
13 +6 +4 +4 +8 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — —
14 +7 +4 +4 +9 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — —
15 +7 +5 +5 +9 Metamagic Candle 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 —
16 +8 +5 +5 +10 Striped Candle 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 —
17 +8 +5 +5 +10 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
18 +9 +6 +6 +11 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
19 +9 +6 +6 +11 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3
20 +10 +6 +6 +12 Metamagic Candle 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4Game Rule InformationCandle Caster have the following game statistics.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d4
Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10 (125 gp)
Starting Age: Complex (as Candle Caster)
Class skillsConcentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at 1st level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class FeaturesAll the following are class features of the candle caster class.
- Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Candle Casters are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a Candle Caster’s movements, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail.
- Spells: A Candle Caster casts arcane spells which are drawn from the wizard spell list. A Candle Caster must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time (see below). To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Candle Caster must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Candle Caster’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Candle Caster’s Intelligence modifier. Like other spellcasters, a Candle Caster can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Candle Caster. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.
- Wax Tablets: A Candle Caster begins play with a series of wax tablets containing all 0-level wizard spells plus three 1st-level spells of your choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the Candle Caster has, the wax tablets hold one additional 1st-level spell of your choice. At each new Candle Caster level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new Candle Caster level) for her wax tablets. At any time, a Candle Caster can also add spells found in other Candle Casters’ wax tablets to her own.
- Candle Casting: Unlike other arcane casters, the Candle Caster does not memorize spells or cast them spontaneously. Instead, she stores her spells in small candles secreted about her person, pulling them out and lighting them when she wishes to cast a spell. The number of candles per spell level is given on table: Candle Caster. If she exceeds this limit, the magic in the oldest candle of the appropriate spell level dissipates.
- Identify the Candle: To activate a prepared candle, the candle caster must first identify it. This requires a Spellcraft check against a DC of 15+ spell level. (If it is a candle she created herself, this step is unnecessary).
- Light the Candle: Drawing a candle from its storage place to light it takes a swift action. Lighting the candle is best done using a tindertwig. Doing so is a standard action, which is subject to disruption just as casting a spell would be. Lighting the candle by a slower method, such as flint and tinder or even a magnifying glass, is a full-round action under the best of circumstances, and definitely draws an attack of opportunity. A candle caster can "light defensively" by making a successful Concentration check (DC 15). This preempts an attack of opportunity, but if she fails the check she does not light the candle. Alternatively, the candle caster can suffer the attack of opportunity, and if hit, attempt a Concentration check (DC 10+points of damage taken) to light the candle anyway. A burning candle cannot be extinguished unless the candle caster wills it (although dispel magic still suppresses the effect as it would for any other magic item).
- Candle Effect: A successfully lit candle automatically activates the stored spell at the beginning of the candle caster’s action in the next round (which does not draw an attack of opportunity). It works exactly like a spell prepared and cast the normal way. However, since she lit the candle during the previous round, the candle caster can take normal actions on the same round the candle’s spell takes effect. The flame of the burning candle mimics the triggered spell’s duration. Thus, an instantaneous spell causes the candle to flare and burn out immediately, while a candle scribed with a spell having a longer duration burns for that length of time. However, if the flame is extinguished before the spell expires, the spell’s duration is cut short. A scribed candle may incorporate any number of the special enhancements noted below, as long as their combined requirements do not make the spell take up a spell slot higher than the caster’s normal maximum.
- Unfettered Candle: At 4th level, the candle caster learns how to store spells in candles that can be triggered by people other than herself. Any creature who successfully lights the unfettered candle, following the procedure described above, is targeted by the candle’s stored spell at the beginning of the creature’s next turn in the round. An unfettered candle otherwise works exactly like a normally scribed candle.
- Metamagic Candle: At each indicated level, the candle caster gains a metamagic feat that she can utilize in the creation of her candles. These candles take up a candle slot higher than the candle's actual level, based on the adjustment of the feat.
- Dipped Candle: At 8th level, the candle caster refines her chandler’s craft to the point where she can store two spells in the same candle. She must specify the order in which the spells take effect. The first spell is triggered normally by successfully lighting the scribed candle; when the duration of the first spell ends, the second power stored in the candle automatically triggers. If the first spell is suppressed by dispel magic, or the candle caster ends the effect voluntarily, the second effect does not trigger but is not lost. The candle caster can trigger the second effect by relighting the candle. If the second spell requires a target, the candle caster can target the effect when it activated as if casting the spell normally, as long as she is within 30 feet of the lit candle. Otherwise, the candle is the default center of effect. The two spells maybe differentiated by color; for example, the top half of the candle is yellow while the bottom is blue.
- Quick Light: At 12th level, the candle caster learns to activate her candles more quickly. The act of lighting the candle takes no less time, but the stored spell takes effect as soon as the candle is lit (not on the candle caster’s next turn).
- Striped Candle: At 16th level, the candle caster further refines her ability to store two spells in the same candle. Successfully lighting the scribed candle triggers both stored spells simultaneously, and the candle caster chooses any targets for both effects. The two spells may be differentiated by color; for example, the left half of the candle is green while the right is red.
