Wes
The Spells of Stone and Steel: Magic of the Dwarves
As a race dwarves have never been well known for their use of arcane magic, in fact most scholars across the flanaess refused to believe that dwarven mages even existed until the last few years have brought more conclusive evidence to light. The dwarves, of course, knew all along that dwarven mages existed, however like many things about their society they felt that the truth of the matter was best kept secret from outsiders. Slowly, however, more about their magical practices are being brought to light.
In recent decades an order of dwarven mages worshiping Marthammor Duin, the dwarven god of travel and exploration, has arisen, leading to an increasing number of these elusive dwarven mages leaving their clan strongholds and adventuring in the world. From interaction with these adventuring mages more is being gleaned about the secrets of dwarven magic.
Abrasive Blast
Conjuration (Creation) [Earth]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Cone shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: no
You fire a cone shaped blast of grit, sand, and small stones from your outstretched hand. Creatures in the area of effect take 1d4 points of damage for every two caster levels you possess (maximum of 5d4) and are blinded for 1d4 rounds. A successful saving throw reduces the damage by half, and negates the blindness. Constructs, Elementals, Oozes, Plants, Undead and any creatures with out eyes are immune to the blinding affect of the spell, although they still take the physical damage normally.
Material component: A handful of sand and pebbles.
Blood of the Earth
Transmutation [Earth, Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft. + 5ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
This deadly spell actually changes the blood coursing through the targets veins to the blood of the earth itself: magma. Of course having ones blood changed to molten rock is devastating to any living organism, and a creature that fails its save dies instantly and has its body consumed by the fire generated by the intense heat inside its circulatory system. On a successful save the targets blood has managed to resist the transformation, and is simply heated to near the boiling point. On a successful save the target still suffers 10d6 points of fire damage, and could well still die from the damage. Blood of the Earth has no effect on creatures with out blood, including constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and most undead. Creatures that are immune to fire can still be killed if they fail the saving throw, but take no damage if they succeed.
Dust Cloud
Conjuration (creation) [Earth]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft. + 10ft. level)
Effect: cloud of dust spreads in 20-foot radius, 20ft. high
Duration: 10 min/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
A cloud of thick dust, grit and swirling sand billows out from the point that you designate. The dust obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature with in 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures further away have total concealment (50% miss chance and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target). In addition the grit and sand irritate the eyes, nose and mouth of creatures within the cloud. Any creatures with in the cloud are treated as if dazzled (-1 to attacks, spot and search checks), and the ability to cast spells is impaired requiring a caster level check (DC 10+spell level) or the spell is lost.
A moderate wind (11+ mph) will disperse the dust cloud in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the dust cloud in a single round.
Dust Cloud does not function underwater.
Material component: A pinch of sand.
Magma Grasp
Conjuration (creation) [Earth, Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: creature or object touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
Your hand begins glowing red and is surrounded by cascading waves of magma, which does not harm you. Your touch transfers a glob of molten rock to the target, which suffers 1d6 points of fire damage per two caster levels (maximum of 5d6) on the round it is touched, and 1d4 points of fire damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d4) on the next round. Creatures can avoid the secondary damage if they spend a full round action to scrape the magma off of themselves. For every 3 caster levels you possess beyond 5th you can make one additional touch attack (maximum of 6 touches at 20th level).
Material component: an obsidian chip worth at least 1 gp.
Rock Burst
Evocation [Earth]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft. + 10ft. level)
Target: one rock or stone
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
A non-magical rock or stone (or an object made of such) with in range that you designate bursts in blast of forceful energy. This explosion sprays sharp fragments of stone over a 10-foot radius burst around the target object. Creatures and unattended objects in the area of the burst take 1d8 points of slashing and piercing damage. The target object itself is destroyed if it weighs less then 5 pounds per caster level, if it weighs more then this it the object suffers 5 points of damage per caster level (maximum of 100 points) which directly damages it (ignoring its hardness rating).
ShatterSteel
Evocation [Sonic]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 50 ft.
Area: Cone shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fort half (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
Upon the completion of this spell you release a wave of sonic vibration that is extremely harmful to metal objects. Any objects made of any sort of bronze, lead, iron, steel, mithral, or adamantine with in the area of effect takes 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level (maximum of 15d6), objects made of the “precious” metals (copper, silver, electrum, gold, and platinum) are not affected. Unattended non-magical items receive no save, while unattended magical items or attended items of any sort receive a fortitude save for half damage.
Creatures made primarily of metal (including Iron Golems, whose magic immunity does not extend to this spell) suffer damage as if they were objects.
Material Component: A tiny steel cone.
Strength of Stone
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject becomes stronger and tougher. Strength of Stone grants a +6 enhancement bonus strength, adding the usual benefits to melee attack and damage rolls and to other uses of the strength modifier, additionally the subjects gets a +6 enhancement bonus to it’s natural armor rating (a creature with no natural armor rating is considered to have a natural armor rating of 0 for this purpose). While under the affects of this spell the subjects skin changes to a stony gray color.
Material component: a chip of granite, or similar hard rock.
Temper
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: one weapon touched
Duration: 1 min/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
This spell magically strengthens the steel parts of the weapon touched, making the weapon temporarily hardier and letting it strike harder. An affected weapon gains a +2 to its hardness rating, and +10 hp, additionally the critical modifier of the weapon is increased by 1 (for example a longsword that normally has a critical modifier of 19-20/2 would have a modifier of 19-20/3 while under the affects of temper).
Only weapons that are made mostly of metal, or have a large metal striking surface can be affected by this spell (for example a mace, sword, battleaxe, or war hammer could all be affected by the spell, but a quarterstaff, morningstar or arrow could not).
Temper, Mass
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5ft/2 levels)
Target: two weapons per level, no two of which can be more then 30 ft. apart.
Duration: 1 min/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
This spell functions just like Temper, except it affects more weapons as noted above.
Tunnel
Transmutation [Earth]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V,S,F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft. + 10ft. level)
Area: 5ft wide by 5ft high line out to 10ft./level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell creates a 5-foot high by 5-foot wide tunnel through earth and stone. This tunnel stretches in a straight line from its point of origin to a maximum distance of 10 feet per caster level through earth or 1 foot per caster level through stone, both types of terrain can be tunneled through by a single use of this spell (for example a 12th level wizard casts tunnel, after tunneling though 40 feet of earth the tunnel hits solid stone and continues an additional 8 feet). The caster must have line of effect to the origin point of the tunnel, and all of the tunnel must fall with in the spells maximum range.
Tunnels created by this spell will be stable, and will not be at risk to collapse when made. The spell does not provide for maintenance, however, so once created the effects of time, earthquakes etc. affect the tunnel as they would a naturally made one.
Focus: A miniature mining pick made of gold and set with precious gems worth not less the 500 gp.
I think you should convert this to an article for the canonfire web site. Overall not my take on the dwarves but tastefully done indeed.
In my campaigns I began allowing for the occasional PC to be a dwarven magic user during the time drawing cloer to 3rd edition being released.
I ran the PC"s through the Axe of the Dwarven Lords module and had the rediscovery of Radruundar herald a new age for the dwarves.
Shortly after they completed the module and the "golden age" for the dwarves began. That was when I first allowed a handful of dwarven paladins dedicated to Moradin begin appearing on Oerth.
In Radruundar I had a small cabal of dwarven geomancers appear, discovering the secret to ancient dwarven magics in the now reclaimed stronghold, they called themselves the Rune Risters.
Of course it was a bit more in-depth thanthat but thats a general overview. This was my way of beginning the process of converting from 2e to 3e and explaining how suddenly you could begin seeing dwarven magic users and paladins and such.
I like it and will likely nab your spells for use in my campaigns
good, that is why I posted them here
I think you should convert this to an article for the canonfire web site.
I actually wrote the spells for an artical that I was proposing to Dragon... Dragon decided to pass on the proposal (they never saw the article) so I decided to post the spells here for poeple to use as they saw fit... the flavor text at the top was taken from the proposed article as well, although i cut quite a bit out for posting on the boards. I suppose I could see if cannonfire wants the whole article ::shrugs::
Anyway, I've decided that if I ever get to DM again, that dwarven magi don't exist, mainly due to their culture, but also due to the inherent resistances.
I do, however, think that dwarves are a very religious race and so would be interested in seeing these converted to being priest spells or, simply given levels to make them appropriate for casting as priest spells.
Cool stuff... it seems solid.
Thanks
I can't see why Dragon passed on the idea,
My guess would be that they already have something similar in the works... or planning on staying away from dwarves for a while ;)
I have been tinkering with my own race of arcane spellcasting dwarves on and off now for the past seven months. After reading through most of the entries presented here, I now have a few new ideas about the possible directions I want this race to take...thanks for inspiration cwslyclgh ;) .
I did notice one mistake though... Dust Cloud should require a concentration check for spell casting, not a caster level check
Originally posted by cwslyclgh
gosh, thanks for all the kind words
I did notice one mistake though... Dust Cloud should require a concentration check for spell casting, not a caster level check
Excellent spells, cwslyclgh. They were so go I compiled them into a Document file. (And I changed caster level check to Concentration check under Dust Cloud.) :D
While I can't post the file here I can post it on my yahoo group if anyone wants a nicely formated copy.
Cheers!
Knightfall
Good work! Would love to have it as a submission on Canonfire. Dwarves have gotten so little attention in Greyhawk, outside of a mention of the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Would be nice to see more material on them and their magic.
-PS
-PS
Good job.