Faerûnian Prestige Class : Spellfire Hierophant
While many characters may call themselves master of spellfire - the raw energy of the Weave - such individuals are mere students compared to the spellfire hierophant. This master of the Weave learns new methods of controlling and shaping spellfire that lesser mortals barely comprehend.
A spellfire hierophant can come from almost any background, though most have some previous training in the use of spellfire. The spellfire channeler prestige class provides the lion's share of the candidates for this prestige class; otherwise, spellcasters have the easiest time qualifying.
Considering the generally solitary nature of spellfire wielders it's no surprise that spellfire hierophants tend to exist outside of normal society. Those few who venture from their hidden lairs in the wilderness or on other planes usually rely on disguises and subterfuge to accomplish their goals.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Spellfire Hierophant, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Concentration 24 ranks, Knowledge (arcana 12 ranks, Spellcraft 12 ranks.
- Feats: Endurance, Epic Spellfire Wielder, Spellfire Wielder, Weapon Focus (spellfire).
Class Skills
The spellfire hierophant's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Profession, Sense Motive, SpellCraft, and Survival.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the spellfire hierophant prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Spellfire hierophants gain no proficiency with any weapon, armor, or shield. Armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble, and double the normal armor check penalty applies to Swim checks.
Greater Charged Item Drain (Sp): A spellfire hierophant can drain a number of charges from a touched charged item (including single-use items such as potions or scrolls) and convert that energy into stored spellfire energy levels. She can drain a number of charges equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum 1), but she can't drain more charges than the item has remaining. (Each spell on a scroll counts as 1 charge.) A fully drained item has no magical properties - a potion becomes water, and a scroll becomes blank paper. A creature holding or carrying such an item may attempt a Will save (DC 20 + 1/2 spellfire hierophant level + spellfire hierophant's Cha modifier) to prevent the item from being drained.
Ranged Healing (Su): At 2nd level, the spellfire hierophant can release stored spellfire energy levels to heal at a range of up to 25 feet + 5 feet per two caster levels. Using this ability requires a successful ranged touch attack. The amount of healing is normal for the character (either 2 points per spellfire energy level expended, or 1d4+1 points per spellfire energy level expended if the, character has the improved healing class feature of the spellfire channeler).
Haste (Su): Once per day, a spellfire hierophant of 3rd level or higher can expend spellfire energy levels to accelerate her actions, just as if she had cast haste on herself. She must decide how many levels to spend upon activation of the ability. Each spellfire energy level she spends allows her to function as though affected by a haste spell for 1 round, and she sparkles with light while this ability is in effect. The spellfire hierophant can use this ability twice per day at 6th level and three times per day at 9th level.
Bonus Feats: At 4th level and again at 8th level, the spellfire hierophant gains a bonus feat selected from the following list: Energy Resistance, Epic Skill Focus (Concentration), Epic Spellfire Wielder, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus (spellfire)*, Exceptional Deflection*, Fast Healing, Infinite Deflection, Reflect Arrows. She must meet all of a feat's prerequisites in order to select it, except as noted below.
The spellfire hierophant can ignore the prerequisite of Improved Unarmed Strike for these feats.
Greater Permanent Item Drain (Sp): At 5th level, a spellfire hierophant can drain power from permanent magic items by touch as a standard action. An item that creates a spell effect (such as boots of speed) loses that function for 24 hours, and the spellfire hierophant gains spellfire energy levels equal to the item's caster level. A creature holding or carrying such an item may attempt a Will save (DC 20 + 1/2 spellfire hierophant level + spellfire hierophant's Cha modifier) to prevent the item from being drained. If all of an item's permanent abilities are drained, it is still a magic item for the purpose of making saving throws when damaged, and so on.
Spellfire Reserve (Ex): At 7th level, the spellfire hierophant learns how to store spellfire energy levels in deep reserve. These energy levels don't count as part of her normal storage capacity, but they also can't be used to power spellfire effects without first calling them out of reserve. Spellfire energy levels in reserve don't detect as magical, so a spellfire hierophant's true nature cannot be determined by detecting them. Placing any number of stored spellfire energy levels in reserve requires a full-round action, as does calling any number out of reserve into normal storage capacity. The spellfire hierophant can hold a number of spellfire energy levels to her spellfire hierophant level plus her Constitution bonus (if any) in reserve.
Spellfire Burst (Su): At 10th level, the spellfire hierophant can substitute a spellfire burst for a normal spellfire blast. The range remains the same, but instead of requiring a touch attack, the spellfire energy explodes in a 5-foot-radius burst at the target point, dealing appropriate damage to all creatures in the area. Each affected creature may attempt a Reflex save (DC 20 + 1/2 spellfire hierophant level + spellfire hierophant's Cha modifier) to halve the damage. The character can substitute bursts for as many blasts as she would normally fire in a round, but she can use the ability for only 1 round per day. For every 5 levels gained thereafter, the spellfire hierophant can use this ability for 1 additional round per day (2 rounds at 15th, 3 rounds at 20th, and so on).
If the character also has the maelstrom of fire class feature of the spellfire channeler, the area of the burst is a 10-foot radius.
| Spellfire Hierophant | Hit Die: d4 |
|---|---|
| CL | Special |
| 1st | Greater charged item drain |
| 2nd | Ranged healing |
| 3rd | Haste 1/day |
| 4th | Bonus feat |
| 5th | Greater permanent item drain |
| 6th | Haste 2/day |
| 7th | Spellfire reserve |
| 8th | Bonus feat |
| 9th | Haste 3/day |
| 10th | Spellfire burst 1/day |
Source: Player's Guide to Faerûn