Wizard of High Sorcery

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wizards of High Sorcery gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor. In fact, tradition forbids them from using any weapon except a quarterstaff or dagger. There is no penalty for ignoring this prohibition, but most wizards choose to honor it, holding strongly to their ancient traditions. Like wizards and sorcerers, Wizards of High Sorcery suffer a chance of arcane spell failure if they attempt to cast spells with material components while wearing armor.

Spells per Day: When a Wizard of High Sorcery level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had gained a level in an arcane spell casting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained (Bonus metamagic or item creation feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), expect for increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more then one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Wizard of High Sorcery, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for the purposes of determining spells per day.

Enhanced Specialization: Upon passing the Test of High Sorcery, a wizard increases his devotion to his chosen school of specialization. At 1st level, a Wizard of High Sorcery casts all spells from that school at +1 caster level. In addition, he gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells from his specialist school and spell-like abilities (but not supernatural abilities) that duplicate such spells. In exchange for this enhanced focus on one school, the wizard must give up one additional school of magic, chosen from among the schools that the other two orders of High Sorcery specialize in (see Focused Specialization, above). He can never again learn spell from that school. He cannot choose a prohibited school that he already chose as a 1st-level wizard. He can still use the prohibited spells he knew prior to becoming a Wizard of High Sorcery, including using items that are activated by spell completion or spell trigger. For example, Rikar is a wizard of the Red Robes who specializes in the school of Illusion. His prohibited schools are Necromancy and Enchantment. When he passes his test, he must choose one additional school, and he has only one option: Abjuration. (He must choose all his barred schools from among the schools favored by the order of the White and Black robes, and no wizard can choose divination as a prohibited school.)

Item of Power: Once a prospective Wizard of High Sorcery successfully completes his test, his order gives him a permanent magic item valued between 2,000-4,000 gp in value. The order does not tell the newly robed Wizard of High Sorcery what powers the item possesses: discovering them himself is viewed as a means of refining his focus.

Moon Magic: All Wizard of High Sorcery draw strength from the moon aligned with their particular order. White Robe wizards draw power from Solinari, the white moon. Red Robe wizards draw their power from Lunitari, the red moon. Black Robe wizards are the only individuals able to see the full face of Nuitari, the black moon from which they draw their own strength. The waxing and waning of their respective moons has an effect upon the magic of Wizard of High Sorcery. Wen a moon is at High Sanction (from waxing gibbous, through full, to waning gibbous), wizards of that moon’s order cast spells at +1 caster level with saving throw DCs against their spells increased by +1. When a moon is at Low Sanction (from waning crescent, through new, to waxing crescent), wizards of that moon’s order cast spells at – caster level and with saving throw DCs against their spells decreased by -1. During the waxing and waning periods around the quarter moons, wizards of that moon’s order cast at their normal caster level. The alignment of any two moons is a positive event for wizards of their orders, even if the moons are at Low Sanction. When two moons’ are in conjunction, wizards of both moons’ orders cast spells at +1 caster level with saving throw DCs for their spells increased by +1. These bonuses stack with any bonus or penalty in place for the phase of the moons. Thus if Lunitari and Nuitari come into conjunction at High Sanction, wizards of the Red and Black Robes cast at +2 caster levels and have their save DCs increased by +2. If the same two moons come into conjunction at Low Sanction, the benefit from the conjunction cancels out the penalty for the moons being at Low Sanction and, and these wizards cast spells as normal. When all three moons come into alignment all magic becomes more powerful. Wizards of all orders cast spells at +2 caster levels and with saving throw DCs for their spell increased by +2. Again, these bonuses stack with any bonus of penalty in place for the phase of the moons. When the three moons are in conjunction of Low Sanction, ever wizard casts at +1; when they align at High Sanction, the bonuses increase o +3. This ominous occurrence, known as the Night of the Eye, occurs in a cycle of 504 days (exactly 1 1/2 years). See The Moons of Magic in Chapter 3 for full details on the cycles of the Three moons.

Tower Resources: A Wizard of High Sorcery gains full admission to the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth, with resources available for spell research and the creation of magical items.

Access to Libraries: A wizard who has passed the Test of High Sorcery and declared allegiance to the deities of magic gains access to the libraries within the tower. These libraries contain the spellbooks of countless wizards throughout history, stretching back to the Age of Dreams. With access to these libraries, it is easier for wizards to create new spells or to add new spells to their spellbooks. When researching or scribing a spell while using the tower’s libraries, the time requirement for replacing or copying spells is halved ( a wizard can scribe two spells per day), while the cost creating new spells is three-quarters (750 gp per week of research).

Access to Laboratories: With access to the libraries also comes access to the laboratories in the Tower of High Sorcery. These laboratories are available for any Wizard of High Sorcery to use for creating magic items, and come complete with commonly used components (rare and exotic components may gave to be bartered for, or independently gained through other channels). A wizard using these laboratories can almost certainly complete creation of an item without interruption.

Limited Benefits: With the Towers of High Sorcery currently inaccessible, these benefits are limited unless wizards can find mentors willing to share their spellbooks, or perhaps even conclaves of wizards with their own laboratories mean-while the search for the towers continues.

Arcane Research: A Wizard of High Sorcery has access to the secrets and knowledge of the Conclave and the Towers of High Sorcery. Beginning at 2nd level, the character gains a competence bonus on Spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana) checks. In addition, each level that grants a bonus in arcane research also allows the Wizard of High Sorcery to add a bonus spell to his spellbook (in addition to the spell normally gained through level advancement).

Limited Benefits: With the Towers of High Sorcery currently inaccessible, these benefits are limited unless wizards can find mentors willing to share their spellbooks, or perhaps even conclaves of wizards with their own laboratories mean-while the search for the towers continues.

Order Secret (Su): At 3rd level, and again at 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th level, a Wizard of High Sorcery learns one of the secrets of his order. The Secrets of the tree orders are described in the following sections.

Secrets of the Black Robes

The following are secrets of the Order of the Black Robes. Each time an evil-aligned Wizard of High Sorcery gains an order secret, she may choose from one of the following. The character may not choose the same secret twice.

Magic of Betrayal: Once per day for every two class levels she possesses, a Black Robe who knows this secret may Empower or Extend a Necromancy spell, as though she had applied the appropriate metamagic eat to the spell (although the spell does not use a higher-level slot). When she does so, a backlash of negative energy deals 2d6 points of damage to a single living ally withing 30 feet, chosen by the wizard (she may not choose an undead ally, who would benefit from the negative energy). The ally is allowed a Will save (Dc 10 + one-half the wizards caste level + the wizard’s Intelligence modifier) for half damage.

Magic of Darkness: Once per day for every two class levels she posses, a Black Robe who knows this secret can imbue a damaging spell with negative energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell is negative energy damage, and is therefore not subject to being reduced by protection from energy or similar magic (although Extend a Illusion spell he can cast as though he had applied the appropriate metamagic feat to the spell (although the spell does not use a higher-level slot).

Magic of Independence: A Red Robe who knows this secret casts spells that are harder to dispel. When another spellcaster makes a dispel check to dispel one of the Red Roe’s spells (including using dispel magic to counterspell a spell the Red Robe is casting), the DC is 15+ the Red Robe’s caster level.

Magic of Mystery: A Red Robe who knows this secret casts spells that are harder to detect and identify. When another spellcaster employs a divination spell, spell-like ability, or magic item, such as a detect magic spell, that may detect the magic aura of one of the Red Robe’s spells, the other caster must make a level check (DC 11+ the Red Robe’s caster level) to successfully detect the spell. Similarly, a spellcaster attempting to use a divination such as see invisibility to reveal the effects of one of the Red Robe’s spells must make a level check to reveal the spell’s effects. Any given caster can check only once for each divination spell used, no matter how many of the Red Robe’s spell effects may be operating in an area. In addition when another spellcaster attempts to identify the spell a Red Robe is casting (for instance , countersepll it), the DC of the required Spellcraft check is increased by +1 for every 2 class levels the Red Robe has attained.

Pure Magic: Once per day for every two class levels he possesses, a Red Robe who knows this secret can imbue a damaging spell with pure arcane energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell comes from this arcane energy, and is therefore no subject to being reduced by Extend an Abjuration spell he casts as though he had applied the appropriate metamagic feat to the spell (although the spell does not use a higher-level slot).

Magic of Radiance: Once per day for every two class levels he possesses, a White Robe who knows this secret can imbue a damaging spell with radiant energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell becomes radiant energy, and is therefore not subject to being reduced by protection from energy or similar magic. The remainder of the damage is dealt is as normal for the spell. Against undead, a spell modified in this way deals half again as much as normal (double the radiant energy damage). Radiant spells give off as much light as a Dragon Lance Campaign Setting for more details.)

Switching Allegiance (Changing Robes)

A Wizards of High Sorcery who changes alignment must either atone for his actions (as with the atonement spell) or declare allegiance to his new order of magic. once the allegiance is declared, the wizard instantly assumes the abilities of a mage of the appropriate robes. He must change his school specialization to one of the schools favored by his new order, and declare new prohibited schools from among the schools favored by the other two orders, possibly including his prior school of specialization. He can no longer cast any spells he might know from the schools that now prohibited to him, and does not automatically gain the knowledge of any new spells in schools that were formerly prohibited to him. Most wizards who change orders put great effort and expense into acquiring new spells suited to their new specialization through every means possible-purchasing scrolls, finding spell-books, and even theft. A Wizard of High Sorcery who changes orders retains any bonus feats and order secrets learned, but may not learn any new secrets from his previous order. With each wizard of High Sorcery level he advances after he changes order, he may exchange one secret from his previous order for one secret from his new order, until he has replaced all his old secrets. The wizard does not receive the full benefit from moon magic until one full turning of his new god’s moon. In addition, there is a penalty for switching allegiances. Until he gains a new level, he sufferers a -20% XP penalty. This penalty stacks with identical penalty for a multiclass character with uneven levels.