Magelord - Faerun Prestige Class
This is a Forgotten Realms Exclusive Class
Quick to anger, haughty, and proud of his Art, the magelord is an arcane spellcaster who studies an ancient magical tradition known for extremely fast and versatile spellcasting. Sometimes a spellslinger for hire, sometimes a professional arcane duelist, the typical magelord believes he has the right to wring respect, wealth, and power from the world around him through the use of arcane force. In reality, he is little more than a cruel bandit lord who uses his magical gifts to dominate and intimidate less talented individuals.
Like a school of fencing or a martial arts style, the magelord tradition has been passed down over the centuries from one practitioner to another. Few magelords give away such knowledge - indeed, anyone who would study this aspect of the Art must either bribe a magelord with princely gifts and service or undertake years of research to unearth ancient texts describing the techniques.
The way of the magelord rewards ambition and recklessness, and it tends to encourage a certain contempt for the risks of power. Thus, most magelords regard their power as a tool with which to fulfill their own desires as opposed to a gift they can use to serve others. A few, however, study magelord lore in hopes of using their magic against tyranny and injustice.
Magelords are relatively rare, but societies and fellowships of them have a risen in many lands over the centuries. The most famous of these was based in the old realm of Athalantar, the Kingdom of the Stag. Bards still sing of the cruelty and evil of the magelords who ruled over the nation, evoking terrible images of a century when tyranny and deadly ambition reigned. The wizards of the Stag Kingdom were cruel, avaricious, driven men with an exceptional talent for magic. Ostensibly, they served as high officials of the realm who brutally enforced their prince's will, but in truth they ruled the Stag Kingdom from behind the throne.
Hit Die: d4
To qualify to become a Magelord, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any non-lawful
- Skills: Intimidate 3 ranks, Knowledge (history) 6 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks.
- Feats: Improved Initiative, Signature spell, Spell Mastery, Weapon Focus (ray).
- Spells: Ability to cast 5th-level arcane spells.
- Special: You must have the evasion special quality as either a class feature or a racial trait.
Special: You must be tutored by a magelord or obtain rare tomes to study the tradition. Either option costs no less than 10,000 gp or a service of equivalent value.
From:
Lost Empires of Faerûn
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