School of Chandlery
Simply burning, a candle is a work of art---a teardrop of fire clinging to the dark wick, itself shrouded in a column of wax that is both the flame's base and fuel: a wonder indeed. Sometimes called "Candle Casters," these spellcasters choose to shape their arcane practice through the chandler's craft, creating consumable magical items as candles.
As a member of the School of Chandlery, you focus your study of magic by scribing magical spells upon handcrafted candles. You have quicker access to magical abilities that enhance the effects of your candle-stored spells.
Scribe Candle
Your experienced study in spell scribing shines in your ability to scribe them onto the supple wax of a nonmagical candle. At 2nd level, you may scribe spells onto candles the same way you would a scroll. The spell scribed must be of a spell level you can cast that is prepared by the caster, or must be among the caster's known spells. Any material components required for casting the spell must be provided by the wizard upon crafting and takes an amount of time and gold related to the level of spell determined on the table below. Your area of expertise allows you to scribe spells that take a fraction of the time to create, reducing the time down by 1 day per spell level, and half as much gold to complete.
If the spell requires concentration, you automatically succeed on ability checks you make to maintain the concentration, but the spell ends if the candle's flame is extinguished as if you lost concentration on the spell. Spells that have a duration of special, until dispelled, or with durations longer than 24 hours cannot be scribed on candles, and spells that are made permanent through concentraion do not become permanent after casting. Spelled candles with a casting time longer than 1 action must burn for the whole time before taking effect, while candles with spells with a range of touch must be held by the caster upon lighting while contact is made to the disired target. After contact with the target, the spell is lifted from the candle and it placed on the target, as if you had cast the touch spell normally.
Spell Scribing Costs
| Spell Level | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | 1 day | 15 gp |
| 1st | 1 day | 25 gp |
| 2nd | 2 days | 125gp |
| 3rd | 3 days | 250 gp |
| 4th | 4 days | 1,250 gp |
| 5th | 5 days | 2,500 gp |
| 6th | 6 days | 7,500 gp |
| 7th | 7 days | 12,500 gp |
| 8th | 8 days | 25,000 gp |
| 9th | 9 days | 150,000 gp |
Because scribed candles only need to be lit to activate the spells stored withih, candles up to 3rd level may be shared with other creatures for use who have an Intelligence score of 10 or higher. Higher level scribed candles will not light for any other creature other than the candle's crafter.
Candle Caster
Your ability to cast magic through candles allows you to tether spells to the flickering flame instead of relying solely on raw, arcane forces. Starting at 2nd level, you may cast your prepared spells that have a somatic and/or a material component without a specified gp cost by lighting a candle instead as if cast with the Subtle Spell metamagic, although verbal components still apply to the casting. If the spell has a duration of instantaneous, it burns the candle to its base in a matter of second. If the spell requires concentration, you automatically succeed on ability checks you make to maintain the concentration, but the spell ends if the candle's flame is extinguished (such is by high winds or a splash of water), as if you lost concentration on the spell.
Empowered Candle
When you reach 6th level, you can empower the spells sustained within a scribed candle by magically transmuting the properties of its surrounding tallow wax. You may empower a spelled candle a number of times equal to your Intellegence modifier (minimum 1) and regain expended uses after completing a long rest. You may only use one empowerment feature per candle. Empowered Candles retain their power until the end of a long rest, where the empowerment is lost and the candle reverts to its base spell feature.
Scale Wax. You change the wax into a yellowish-white, gelatinous, crystalline substance by expending any number of spell slots up to your Intelligence modifier. This empowerment adds your spellcasting modifier to the damage dealt by the spell per slot expended.
Honeycomb Wax. You change the wax into a rich, golden mass of hexagonal prismatic waxy cells by expending a spell slot. This empowerment allows your candle to burn longer, doubling the duration of the spell triggered within the candle.
Earth Wax. You turn the wax into a greasy, inky black wax by expending a spell slot. This empowerment allows you to double the range of the spell triggered within the candle.
Mind Flare
Starting at 10th level, your careful craftwork allows you to magically imbue the flame of a candle to burn uninterrupted. When you light a scribed candle, it burns for the entire duration of the spell and cannot be extinguished by any outside forces unless you will it; although dispel magic spell still suppresses the effect, as it would for any other magic item.
Doublecast Candle
Your ability to weave magic spells into candles is heightened with your honed chandlery skills. Upon reaching 14th level, you may store two spells into the same candle. Each spell must be scribed separately, expending the costs attributed to each spell, collectively, as well.
You may store two spells into a candle that are triggered successively to one another with a specific spell order. The first spell is triggered normally by successfully lighting the scribed candle; when the duration of the first spell ends, the second power stored in the candle automatically triggers. If the first spell is suppressed by dispel magic, or if you choose to end its effect, the second effect does not trigger but is not lost. You can trigger the second effect by relighting the candle. If the second spell requires a target, you can target the effect when it activated as if casting the spell normally as long as you are within 30 feet of the lit candle. Otherwise, the candle is the default center of effect. The two spells may be differentiated by color; for example, the top half of the candle is yellow while the bottom is blue.
Credit
Content is inspired by the D&D3.0 class and adapted to 5e compatibility.
Fig 1. Lightfarm Studios. Life Candle.
Fig 2. Even Amundsen. Alchemist's Workshop.
