Silver Pyromancer

Undead hordes are enough to daunt most any man, but the white-robed wizard stood firm. As they rushed toward him, he finished his precise hand gestures and completed a spell. With a roar, it unleashed a blast of holy fire that consumed the zombies utterly, leaving only fine grey ash. Too easy, really, but his comrades never seemed to get used to fireballs doing that.

The sorceress drew a vial of blue oil from her pouch and began anointing the dead. She softly invoked the prayer of rest as she did so, slowly rising in volume until, in a loud voice, she cried out to the raw power of flame. Its answer turned the bodies to ash beneath shattered armor. No dark-hearted necromancer would ever harm them again. She would teach this necromancer the lesson personally.

Silver pyromancers are the epitome of cleansing flame. Trained both as spellcasters and devoted faithful, they seek to serve their religious order and burn away evil and corruption from the world. Some might say that they're too single-minded, like the fool who has a hammer and thinks every problem is a nail. To the silver pyromancers, that severely underestimates the versatility of holy flame...and more importantly, the dangerous foes that it deals with so well. Credit: Ryan Lord, www.ryanlord.com

Disciples of Purity

A silver pyromancer devotes mind, body, and soul to the concept of purity, burning away evil with arcane fire. They are the pinnacle of religious arcana, mages who embrace faith. By combining their natural or educated talent with the arcane and the rigorous discipline provided by their church hierarchy, they unlock secrets unavailable to both proper divine spellcasters and their fellow masters of the arcane.

But the path of the silver pyromancer is not easy. Rigorous discipline, dedication to purity, and an oath akin to a paladin's make this road unappealing for many practitioners of the arcane. Whether because they prefer their research or self-discovery be unfettered by the rigid dogma of a formal ecclesiastical organization, or because they wish to pursue the furthest heights of their own arts without any blending, many arcane spellcasters do not find the silver pyromancer's benefits worthwhile. But for those who have felt the call, but do not or cannot serve as a cleric or paladin would, the order of silver pyromancers offers an opportunity to commit everything, including their spellcasting, to the cause.

The Spark of Faith

Silver pyromancers can be a diverse lot, but they share three key traits. First, they all have mastered more than just simple arcane spells—they can cast spells at least as powerful as fireball, for example, a staple spell for those who can mix divine power into their arcane fire. Second, they are always at least self-educated in both religious and magical lore. Many are in the clergy or lay faithful, or scholars of both arcana and theology. Third, they are dedicated to purging the world of evil and corruption, bringing cleansing light and holy fire wherever evil lurks. For some this manifests as unrelenting zeal, but most of them are simply dedicated to righteous causes, particularly their religion or deity.

In the rare cases where an eldritch knight becomes a silver pyromancer, compare the character to a paladin: the two end up looking very similar, but the former is a scholar-warrior and in some sense an exorcist, while the latter is an inspiring leader and more defensive in nature. Both use a mix of magic and physical prowess, but their focuses are different. How the more traditional paladins and clerics get along with these fiery exorcists can say a lot about a religious organization, as well as its divine patron or pantheon.

For the especially rare arcane trickster initiate, consider the built-in contrast between their new powers and their natural stealth and trickery. Such characters will likely have a very different perspective on righteousness, purity, and defeating evil, which can make for an interesting dynamic between the arcane trickster and their church. Their skill with subterfuge and investigation may make these silver pyromancers akin to the internal police of the church: those who hunt down and burn away traitors and heresies. However, this usually comes with an even greater expectation of purity and loyalty, which may make someone with a trickster bent chafe.

Prerequisites

• Wisdom 13. A silver pyromancer must both have good judgment and be able to understand transcendental rites.
• Charisma 13 OR Intelligence 13. Silver pyromancers must have the wit or force of personality to cast spells.
• Proficiency in Arcana and Religion. Only those who have trained in both the ways of faith and the mysteries of arcane lore are able to master these talents.
• Ability to cast 3rd level spells from an arcane class. Silver pyromancers use arcane magic. You must know at least one 3rd level arcane spell and have at least one 3rd level spell slot to cast it, even if you are a multiclass character. Bards, sorcerers, wizards, arcane tricksters, and eldritch knights all meet this requirement eventually.
• Free Soul. Silver pyromancers can neither have nor gain any levels of the warlock class. The soul cannot be both dedicated to the purifying flame and any warlock patron.
• Sponsorship. Silver pyromancers are made, not born. Candidates need the sponsorship of a senior silver pyromancer or someone from their church hierarchy.
• The Purgatorium. A week-long ritual, involving fasting, cleansing, meditation, and prayer. Failure to complete the ritual after starting it means permanent disqualification. Though the ritual is not very strenuous, it requires dedication and focus, precluding most other forms of activity beyond what might be done during a short rest.
• Purifying Oath. In the final hour of the Purgatorium, you swear a magically binding oath, similar to but somewhat less restrictive than a paladin oath, to protect law, goodness, and purity in the world. An example oath is given in the following text, though you may create your own if it is consistent with the listed tenets. Violating this oath does not remove your powers, but other people, particularly those of your church, may be able to detect whether or not you have upheld it.

Class Features

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per silver pyromancer level
Hit Points per Level: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per silver pyromancer level

Proficiencies

Tools: You gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies, or expertise if you already had proficiency.

Saving Throws: None.
Skills: None.

Equipment

A new silver pyromancer is given a silver holy symbol and a prayer book, but otherwise receives no new equipment.

Purifying Oath

As part of the Purgatorium, you take a Purifying Oath. Silver pyromancers vow to uphold their church and high standards of personal conduct. Though not strictly required, many who take this oath forswear some vice, such as intoxicants, or take a vow of celibacy. Regardless, all silver pyromancers swear to protect the weak and innocent, root out and destroy evil, and cleanse taint and corruption. Any Purifying Oath must be consistent with the following tenets.

Beacon of the flame. Uphold the highest moral standards and encourage others likewise. Devotion can spark new faith, but carelessness can burn down years of righteousness.

Strength of the flame. Stand fast against evil and corruption in the world. The twin fires of your faith and your magic can defeat many foes and defend many victims.

Light of the flame. Investigate all you come across. Evil loves to hide in dark places where no one wants to look, and much is learned by asking questions no one thought to ask.

Warmth of the flame. Give help and aid freely to those in need, expecting nothing in return. Remember how your own gifts were given to you. Serve the faithful with all you have.

Duty of the flame. Only give your word if you can keep it. Obey the just commands of your superiors, and respect good order wherever your travels take you. Yours is the fire of civilization, not wild destruction.

Linked Spellcasting

At 1st level, select one arcane casting class you have levels in for Linked Spellcasting. Treat each level of silver pyromancer as a level of that class for determining your maximum spell level, number of slots, and spells known if applicable. It doesn't count as a level of that class for anything else. E.g. Bharash, a dragonborn 5th level sorcerer/1st level silver pyromancer, knows and casts spells like a 6th level sorcerer but won't gain the Sorcerous Origin feature until he has six sorcerer levels. Ellira, an elf 13th level eldritch knight/2nd level silver pyromancer, knows 10 Wizard spells but has not yet learned the Arcane Charge archetype feature.

Sacred Arcana

At 1st level, you gain sacred flame and guidance as cantrips, and more spells at higher levels as shown. For you, these spells are on your Linked class spell list, and never count against any limit of spells known or prepared. If you prepare spells, they are always prepared. As they don't count against these limits, if you know any spell below when this feature grants it, you can replace the old spell with any of equal level from your Linked class list, as if you retrained it.

Sacred Arcana Spells

Pyromancer

At 1st level, your sacred flame cantrip and your fire spells—meaning spells that deal fire damage—are enhanced. Every such spell you know has its damage increased. Increase the damage of these spells by +1 for every damage die you roll.

Radiant Flame

At 2nd level, you learn the secret of divine fire. Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can instead choose to have it deal radiant damage. Such spells often burn with a silver-white, smokeless flame. By dealing radiant damage, the spell ignores immunity, resistance, and weakness to fire, but it cannot also be affected by features that apply to spells that deal fire damage. You can choose not to use this feature.

Purge Undead

Undead, the great corruption, fear the heat and light of your magic flames. Starting at 2nd level, you can use an action to present a holy symbol and recite a litany that burns away undead creatures, like a cleric's Turn Undead. Each undead creature within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC. If it fails, it takes 1d8 fire damage for each level of silver pyromancer you have, or half

damage with a successful save. You must complete a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Smiting Spell

At 3rd level, the purity of your commitment to destroying evil manifests in your fire spells. You can make any fire spell you cast a smiting spell, which deals 50% more fire damage (rounded down) against a number of fiends, aberrations, or undeads targeted by that spell, up to a maximum of your

spellcasting modifier. You choose to use this feature as part of casting the spell, and Smiting Spell is expended even if it fails to affect one or more targets for any reason. Fire spells that can damage a target multiple times, such as scorching ray, only apply this effect to a single successful ray, attack, or save per target, no matter how many times that target is affected. This feature cannot be used in conjunction with Radiant Flame, unless you also have the Improved Radiant Flame feature. You must complete a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Final Rites

At 3rd level, your devotion to the sacred fire lets you give final rest to the dead. You can conduct a 10 minute ritual on any number of dead bodies within 20 feet of you, anointing them with sacred oils worth 1 gp per body. At the end of this ritual, each body is consumed in smokeless silver fire that burns only bodies, leaving possessions untouched. Bodies burned this way cannot be the target of any effect that creates undead, and can only be resurrected by magic of equivalent power to true resurrection, or by direct divine intervention.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.

Persistent Fire

At 4th level, the lash of your fire now lingers on those burned by it. When a target is hit by a spell attack from, or fails a save from, one of your fire spells of 1st level or higher, it is set alight with magic flames. On its next turn, unless it uses an action to douse the flames, it takes 2d6 additional fire damage, which ignores fire resistance but not fire immunity. This effect only applies once per round per target. This feature cannot be used in conjunction with Radiant Flame, and Improved Radiant Flame has no effect on this feature.

Improved Radiant Flame

At 5th level, you have truly mastered the divine fire, reaching beyond the limits of normal spellcasting. Your Smiting Spell and Pyromancer features, but not Persistent Fire, now also apply to spells that deal radiant damage (both fire spells and radiant spells), including spells affected by Radiant Flame. Further, your spells always ignore fire resistance, and treat fire immunity as though it were fire resistance. That is, fire damage dealt by your spells is merely halved for creatures with fire immunity, and not reduced at all for creatures with fire resistance.

Divine Health

At 5th level, your unity with the divine fire purges you of distractions like mere sickness. You are immune to disease.

Optional Rules

The following rules are provided as optional extensions to the silver pyromancer. The DM is not required to approve them, they are merely offered to add thematically appropriate options for aspirants, advanced silver pyromancers, and any arcane caster that appreciates fire.

Feats

Devoted Student

Prerequisite: Proficiency in Arcana or Religion

You have graduated from a selective school, trained in the arcane arts and the seminary. You gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies, and +1 to any one mental stat of your choice (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). Further, because of the higher education you received there, choose one of these benefits:

• Proficiency in Arcana, or expertise in Arcana if you already have proficiency in both Arcana and Religion.
• Proficiency in Religion, or expertise in Religion if you already have proficiency in both Arcana and Religion.

Finally, you receive a diploma, certifying your education in arcana and religion. It shows your connection to the wider culture of the faith, or a specific branch or order of your religion. This official document may help you find aid or allies from those who share your religion or overall beliefs, and other academics may recognize you as an equal or colleague.

Argent Flamekeeper

Prerequisites: Smiting Spell class feature, character level 13

You have risen to the highest rank within the order of silver pyromancers, recognized for both your contributions to the church and your mastery of the deep mysteries of the arcane. You gain the following benefits:

• When you roll initiative and your Smiting Spell has been expended, you regain use of that feature.
• Your prayer book is now also a ritual book, and you can learn, scribe, and cast ritual spells from your Linked class and the cleric class. You must still learn these rituals normally (see the Ritual Caster feat), and you can only cast them as rituals unless you already know and can cast the spell from some other source.
• You receive a special, blessed silver holy symbol. It is immune to decay and mundane harm, and serves as your badge of office. It is recognized by anyone familiar with your church hierarchy as a mark of significant authority.

New Spells

The following are bard, sorcerer, and wizard spells. People might associate them with silver pyromancers, but they can be learned by anyone of high enough level in these classes. DMs may still impose prerequisites they feel are appropriate for learning them, whether mechanical or thematic.

Censure the Unnatural

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: S, M (three drops of anointing oil)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Select one aberration, construct, elemental, fey, fiend, monstrosity, or undead within range, which must make a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, a blazing symbol of censure appears on the target's forehead (or some other obvious body part, if it lacks a head). Any attack rolls made against the target receive a +1 bonus, and any saving throws made by it take a -1 penalty. If an ally succeeds on a melee attack roll against the target, that ally gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier, but each ally can only gain this benefit once per round.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature of the listed kinds for each slot level above 2nd. No two targets can be more than 30 feet apart.

Phantom Beacon

3rd-level illusion (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a small phosphorescent mushroom)
• Duration: 24 hours, or until dispelled

You create a light that only your allies can see. A touched or held object begins to glow with an eerie white radiance, illuminating the area like a torch. However, unlike a torch or continual flame spell, only selected people can see it. Pick a number of targets equal to your spellcasting modifier within 20 feet of you when you cast the spell. You, and these other targets, are the only ones who can see this beacon, no matter how close other creatures get to it. Any spell or effect which permits a creature to see what is invisible or the true nature of things, such as true seeing, can also see the beacon. Other-wise, the light is completely undetectable to other creatures.

Raging Flame

1st-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self (30-foot radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Special, Concentration; see text

As you speak the passionate words to invoke this spell, fires in your immediate vicinity are stoked with power. Any present flames at least as bright as a candle have their brightness doubled, which doubles the radius of both bright and dim light they shed. Any affected fire also burns its fuel twice as quickly. Mundane fire enhanced by this spell retains these properties for 8 hours, or until the fire runs out of fuel or is quenched, whichever comes first. A small, handheld flame such as a torch or candle cannot transfer the magic to another object, but a campfire can have extra fuel added to retain the effect up to the maximum duration of 8 hours. You do not need to concentrate on this effect.

Further, any spell that does fire damage increases that damage by +1 per damage die rolled. All such spells cast in the affected area are amplified while the original caster concentrates, including those cast by enemy spellcasters. Unlike the previous effect, you must maintain concentration on this effect, up to a maximum of 1 minute.

Seraphic Wings

4th-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (gold dust worth 40 gp)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Brilliant, ethereal wings of white and golden fire appear to sprout from your back, with trailing tendrils and sparks that almost touch the ground. Despite the heat and light, this spell cannot set any mundane or magical material on fire. The wings grant you a flying speed equal to your walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft. However, the wings allow you to stand on objects that

normally could not support your weight, such as thin tree branches, wall fixtures, or the arms of a statue, so long as the object is solidly fixed to a wall or the ground.

While this spell is active, if an enemy hits you with a melee attack, the wings swipe the attacker with the fiery tendrils. If it fails a Dexterity save, it takes 2d6 points of fire damage, or half as much on a successful save.

Silver Flame Holy Symbol. Credit: Lee Moyer, https://www.leemoyer.com/

Some vices miss what is right because they are deficient, others because they are excessive, in feelings or in actions, while Virtue finds and chooses the mean. — Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, chapter 6