The Spells of Scafra, the Fire-Mage:
by Carl QuaifThe following spells are a selection of those known by Scafra, a Fire-Mage of the alternate Prime world of Gaelsfar (and creator of Scafra's Wand of Glamour). Gaelsfar magic is passed on by oral tradition; these spells were taught by Scafra to her friend, the Mystaran Mage Delivane, who translated the spells into Mystaran terms and committed them to paper. For the most part, these are equivalents to common magical spells available on Mystara.
Burning Brand
Level: 1
Range: 10'
Duration: 6 Turns + 1 per caster's level
Effect: ignites a torch
This Light spell variant is the first learnt by any Fire-Mage;
often, such Magi develop this spell spontaneously as their first
expression of magical potential. The spell causes a combustible
wooden substance (a stick of wood, a pitch torch, even a bowl of
wood-shavings) to burst into bright flame. This fire provides light
of the same intensity and duration as the common Light spell. The
flame can be extinguished normally by dousing it in water, although
it magically resists being blown out by even the strongest wind.
The Burning Brand may be used as an impromptu weapon, causing 1d4
fire damage - the same damage applies if the spell is cast directly
on a living being - but in both cases, the flame is extinguished
after 1 round.
The reverse of this spell, Dying Embers, can be used to douse any small fire, from a candle-flame to a small campfire. It has no effect on larger blazes, nor on flames maintained by magic (another Burning Brand may be affected, however).
Phantom Torch
Level: 2
Range: 20'
Duration: permanent
Effect: creates ghostly flame
This improvement on the Burning Brand spell creates a permanent
light-source equivalent to a Continual Light spell. As with the
level 1 version, the spell requires a combustible wooden item as
the focus, but the flame is pale blue, and does not consume the
torch. The flame gives off no heat, and causes no damage if touched
to living creatures (unlike the Burning Brand, this spell cannot be
cast on a living creature as part of an attack).
This spell, unlike Continual Light, has no reversed form.
Fire-Eye
Level: 3
Range: touch
Duration: 12 hours
Effect: provides heat-sight
This Infravision variant causes the recipient's eyes to take on a
smouldering red glow. For the duration of the spell, the person
enchanted with Fire-Eye can only see in terms of heat-waves,
allowing her to function without a light-source in underground
tunnels. This spell also makes the recipient immune to spells of
Light and Darkness for the duration, so long as heat is not a
component of the spells - a blast of Red Dragon's breath, or a
Fireball spell, will render the Fire-Eye user blind for 1d4 +2
rounds.
A 5th-level version of this spell, called Fiery Gaze, allows the recipient to switch between heat-sight and normal vision at will, and has a duration of 1 day..
Elemental Guide
Level: 3
Range: 15'
Duration: 1d6 Turns
Effect: summons minor Fire Elemental
This spell, which has no counterpart on Mystara, summons a small
Fire Elemental to this Plane. The Guide appears as a small globe of
light, radiating slight warmth and providing light equivalent to a
normal lantern.
The Guide can serve as a simple light source, hovering near the caster and following her wherever she goes. It is responsive to the caster's thoughts; the caster may command the Guide to fly on ahead if desired, up to a range of 240' from the caster (the Guide moves at a maximum of 90'/round), and return to inform her what is waiting "around the corner". The Guide communicates telepathically with mental pictures of what it has seen. The images are somewhat distorted, however - the Guide's method of "seeing" is very different to that of a human or demi-human - so the images might not always be very useful, let alone comprehensible.
The Guide has no method of attack, although it can be ordered to distract foes by spinning and diving around their heads (enemies so distracted are at - -2 to hit). The Guide cannot be damaged by weapons of less than +2 enchantment, and is effectively AC0. A single successful hit will disrupt the spell holding it in the Prime Plane, causing it to vanish.
Spells to summon Guides from the other Elemental Planes may exist. A single Mage can summon only one Elemental Guide at a time, from any Plane.
Fire Cage
Level: 4
Range: 75'
Duration: 1d6+2 rounds
Effect: conjures a cube of fire
This dweomer, derived from the standard Fireball spell, is used to
temporarily restrain foes without directly harming them. When cast,
a fiery missile streaks from the caster, exploding just before it
reaches the target (causing no damage) and resolving into a 10' x
10' x 10' hollow cube of translucent fire. The walls of the cube
(which may or may not have a floor, depending on whether the target
is landbound or airborne) are quasi-solid, and resist penetration -
breaking through takes 1d4+1 rounds, and anyone trying to break
through, without magical protection, takes 1d6 damage each round
(no save for half damage, as they are, effectively, inflicting the
contact on themselves). Even just touching a wall causes this
damage. The fire consumes oxygen from the outside only, so the Cage
cannot be used to suffocate a captive.
A Fire Cage may hover in mid-air, in order to encapsulate a flying creature. If the target is too big to enclose, the Fire Cage simply collapses into a small Fireball, causing 3d6 damage (save for half damage).
Mirage
Level: 5
Range: 100'
Duration: 1 Turn
Effect; creates hallucinatory image
This spell can only be cast on a clear, sunny day. It causes an
area of up to 400 sq. ft. to acquire a shimmering heat haze effect,
which the caster can manipulate to create an illusion of anything
she can imagine or has ever seen (as per the spell Phantasmal
Force). The caster may manipulate the illusion at will, changing it
as desired. If the caster is within the area of effect, she can use
it to simulate the spells Invisibility, Mirror Image, or the
effects of a Cloak of Displacement. Because of the distorting
effects of the haze, opponents suffer a -2 penalty to disbelieve
any effects of the Mirage.
On the world of Gaelsfar, this is the only illusion-casting spell available to Fire-Magi; its usefulness and versatility were what caused Scafra to incorporate Illusionist spells into her Wand of Glamour.
Fire Trap
Level: 8
Range: up to 50'
Duration: see below
Effect: summons a delayed-action Fire Cage
This enhanced version of the 4th-level Fire Cage spell creates a
small, octagonal red gem which materialises in the caster's hand;
this gem may be fired up to 50' away, if desired. The gem will
remain stable until commanded by the caster, touched by the first
person/third person/second human etc. (whatever condition the
caster specifies), or until a certain time period elapses. At that
moment, the gem expands into a Fire Cage measuring 10' x 10' x 10',
with a duration of 1d4 Turns - all other details are as per the
Fire Cage spell.
The Fire Trap can theoretically last
forever in gem form (before 1010 AC - on the Day of Dread, all Fire
Trap gems fade away harmlessly).