Fire Born (5e Subclass)
Becoming a Fire Born
“ | I did my job... What are you gonna do? Fire me? | ” |
—Hanadas, Gnome Fire Born |
With the ability to launch blazing hot jets of fire at enemies, what enemies shall stand against me?
A Fire Born studies the basic building of nature, deciding to harness the power of fire, lava, and smoke. Eventually they transcend their mortal forms and become elemental beings themselves.
Before one can become a Fire Born they must first meet peacefully with a fire or smoke elemental or creature with a fire subtype that can choose to test their affinity to fire. The Test of the Fire Born is unknown to the participant and up to the DM.
A Fire Born often are intrigued by all forms of nature before they ever take levels in the prestige class, these spellcasters typically find themselves drawn to the fire energy type. They find satisfaction in the unleashed purity of the fire energy forms, and they become a Fire Born to grow closer to fire's purity.
Most Fire Born come from druids, although some Wizards or Sorcerers venture to the class, it is rare to see one. A cleric with the Fire domain could also qualify for the prestige class.
Skills: | Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks |
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Spells: | Able to cast at least 4 spells that deal fire type damage. One of the spells has to be of at least 3rd level. |
Special: | Must make a peaceful contact with an elemental, or an outsider (can be a summoned creature). Must display an affinity by way of a test given by the elemental (up to DM decision). |
Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spellcasting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Fire Specialty, Fire Resistance 5, Wild Shape Fire 1/day | +1 level of existing spellcasting class, Bonus Feat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Immunity to Sleep | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Fire Penetration +2 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Fire Resistance 10, Fire Adaptation, Spell Secret | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Fire Focus +1, Summon Fire Elemental 1/day | +1 level of existing spellcasting class, Bonus Feat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Wild Shape Fire 2/day | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Fire Resistance 20 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th | +5 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Fire Penetration +4 | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Immunity to Paralysis and Poison | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Fire Perfection, Fire Focus +2, Fire Immunity | +1 level of existing spellcasting class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) |
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fire Born gain no additional proficiency in weapons or armor.
Spells Per Day: When a new Fire Born level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell casting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spell casting. If a character had more than one spell casting class prior to becoming a Fire Born, she must decide which class she adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Fire Specialty: Beginning at 1st level, the Fire Born may as a free action substitute for the fire type in any spell she casts with an element descriptor. For bards and sorcerers, this supersedes the requirement that a meta-magic feat applied to a spell takes a full-round action to cast. Note that the spell's normal casting time (typically 1 action) must still be taken.
Fire Resistance: Beginning at 1st level, the Fire Born gains increasing resistance to fire. This resistance is 5 points at level 1, and increases to 10 points at level 4, 15 at level 7, and becomes full immunity at level 10.
Immunity to Sleep: At 2nd level, as a Fire Born continues to transcend her mortal form, she gains immunity to sleep effects. She also at this point begins to look slightly more elemental (a little red/orange/yellow in the eyes, hot and smoky to the touch, possibly a faint orange glow begins to show through her skin).
Bonus Feat: At 1st and 5th levels a Fire Born gains extra feats.
Fire Penetration: The Fire Born begins to further refine their fire energies, and gains the ability to penetrate spell resistance with greater ease, if they are using a fire spell. She gains a +2 competence bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) to overcome a creature's resistance. At 8th level, this bonus increases to +4. These bonuses stack with those granted by the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats.
Fire Focus: From 5th level on, a Fire Born is better able to manipulate fire. The save DC for any fire spell increases by 1. At 10th level, these save DCs increase by 1 again (total increase of 2). These increases are cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats.
Fire Adaptation: At 4th level, the Fire Born no longer takes environmental damage or suffers from hazards relating to fire or dust. In addition, she suffers no ill effects and has no difficulty moving and navigating through fire or dry climates. However, spells that change the environment still deal their damage after fire resistance is taken into account. The Fire Born can walk through and around a Wall of Fire without taking damage from the spell.
Spell Secret: A Fire Born can choose one spell known to her that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by one of the following meta-magic feats: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell. The spell's level does not change and once the choice of spell and modification are chosen they cannot be changed. She does not need to know the meta-magic feat she applies.
Summon Fire Elemental: Once per day, the Fire-Born can now summon a fire elemental to fight their enemies.
Wild Shape Fire: The Fire Born gains the Wild Shape ability (as Druid's first gaining of Wild shape). If she already knows Wild Shape, then she gets another usage of Wild Shape, per day. She can now transfer any basic wild shape creature into a fire subtype version.
Immunity to Paralysis and Poison: As a Fire Born approaches Fire Perfection, she gains immunity to paralysis and poison at 9th level.
Fire Perfection: At 10th level, a Fire Born, through long association with elemental entities and extensive study of their secrets, completely transcends her mortal form to become an elemental creature (Fire elemental (DnD Creature)). Her type changes to elemental. She no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe (though she must still rest to regain spells). She gains an elemental creature's immunity to stunning, and she is no longer subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. A Fire Born gains the speed and movement modes, natural attacks, special attacks, and special qualities of a Medium fire elemental, except that the save DC against her elemental attack form, if any (Burn) is 20 + her Con modifier. Unlike a normal elemental, a Fire Born retains a soul separate from her body. She can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of her previous type.
Fire Immunity: From 10th level on, a Fire Born gains immunity to Fire effects.
Ex-Fire Borns
If a Fire Born wanders from seeking the purity of fire for any reason (since it is an independent study), no negative affects become present in the character. But if they choose to pick it up again later, after a year of inactivity, they must regain alignment with the fire by meeting with the elemental again, and possibly testing again.
Campaign Information
Playing a Fire Born
Combat: While it is thought to be mostly a spellcasting class, it is derived from the druid class, therefore they can fill many different roles needed in the party.
Advancement:
Resources: The resources for a Fire Born are limited.
Fire Borns in the World
“ | As soon as he came to Vsrintgard, there were arson reports left and right. We decided to start investigating. You've probably never heard of Vsrintgard... Well, now you know why | ” |
NPC Reactions:
Fire Born Lore
Fire Born Lore stretches back through the ages, much more ancient than druids, and more potent than Elemental Savants. Very few have been made even in the last millennia and those that have rarely dedicate themselves fully to the task. There has been no deity that Fire Born lore points to but it seems that they simply worship the elements themselves and nature as more powerful than any deity ever to exist. At one time the Fire Borns were not the only elemental children. There are even rarer classes (Fire Born, Air Born) that they ruled with. As man came to being and began settling more and over taking nature itself many of them have dwindled to non-existence. Only the Fire Born are even seen rarely because of the fire climate that the fire spirit dwells in the Fire Born are the most active of the classes. Fire Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Fire Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the Fire Born path, they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something (fire -- see Elemental Children)
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can research Fire Borns to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
DC | Result |
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21 | They become Fire Elementals |
26 | They are more ancient than savants |
31 | Many Fire Borns go into solitude for ages |
40 | Fire Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Fire Born through years of personal search. |
Elemental Children
This group known as The Children of the Elements (Elemental Children) were once a great and powerful group. Very few, if any, have been made in the last millennia. And the ones who have been made, are rarely able to find the resources to dedicate themselves to the task. None are known to worship deities, but rather worship nature itself, and the elements themselves. As man came to being, and began settling more, and overtaking nature itself, many of them have dwindled into non-existence. Only the Snow Born are even seen rarely, because of the cold climate that the cold spirit dwells in. The Snow Born are the most active of the classes.
Elemental children are all pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them to this path. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Snow Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the path -- they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something.
Fire Borns in the Game
Adaptation:
Sample Encounter:
EL whatever:
Test of the Fire Born
The Player rolls a d4 and depending on the roll must complete 1 of the following tests:
- 1: Cast a harmful fire spell on a nearby creature
- 2: Sit in a fiery pyre, until they reach the point at which they might die. (If they stay in, until released at the last moment, then they pass)
- 3: Create a small fire in a bowl using no spell components
- 4: Survive a week in a lava-heated climate with nothing but what they can carry.
These tests can take any amount of time as the participant is taken to the frozen time dimension and no time passes in the normal dimension.
Related
Elemental Children
Fire Elemental (DnD Creature)
Air Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Earth Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Snow Born (DnD Prestige Class)
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