Cryomancer (3.5e Prestige Class)

Cryomancer

“	The frozen wastelands were my home, now I endeavour to freeze the world, so they may feel the pain of my ancestors.	”
—Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess, Human Cryomancer, The Legend of the Frostland

Cryomancers are conniving strategists and casters with a strong connection to the frozen wastelands and icy deserts. Their intimate study of the flow and ebb of winter has taught them the devastating nature of ice and snow. They become great conduits for the elemental plane of ice and cold, shaping the frigid ice with a sculptor's grace. An ideal cryomancer is a cold-hearted manipulator with magical talents, making calculating decisions and creating intricate labyrinths of ice that alter combat each round. By channeling this frozen power, they wreak havoc with powerful abilities, altering the layout of any battlefield to their advantage and their foes' dismay. The Cryomancer is an elemental specialist and fully capable of spellcasting abilities beyond the norm in her chosen element.

Becoming a Cryomancer

The Cryomancer represents a combat commander at work in the field. Their true power is from being able to drastically change the battlefield with a slue of abilities such as Create Ice, to make walls, dividing enemies in their ranks, or using Ice Slick to send fools falling to their knees.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks.
Feats:	Energy Substitution (Cold), any other metamagic feat.
Spellcasting:	Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Special:	Must have built a 100-ftx100-ft by 10-ft tall fortress and/or a 100-ft tall by 40-ft diameter tower made completely of ice and use it for 1 year and 1 day as a base of operations.

Table: The Cryomancer

Hit Die: d4

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Icicle Javelin, Ice Slick	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Create Ice, Frozen Caltrops	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Crystalline Skin, Chilling Conjuration	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Freezing Breath	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Pillar of Ice	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Icicle Guillotine	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5		+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Fell Frost	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6		+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Ice Sovereign	+1 of existing arcane spellcasting.
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Survival (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

The Cryomancer mixes her magic with cold and ice, creating powerful cold spells to devastate opponents. All of the following are class features of the Cryomancer.

Spellcasting: At every level, the Cryomancer gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a arcane spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If she had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Cryomancer, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Icicle Javelin (Su): At 1st level, a cryomancer can create icicles to throw at will. Creating an icicle is a free action. As a full round action a cryomancer can create an icicle and hurl one up to 250 feet as a thrown weapon. When doing so, you attack with a ranged touch attack (with no range penalty) and deal 2d6 cold damage +1 point per caster level. Impaled creatures must make a fort save DC 10 + half caster level + spellcasting modifier or take a cumulative -1 enhancement penalty to attacks, AC, and reflex saves (maximum -5), this penalty lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 20 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical healing. Creatures with the cold subtype are immune to the enchantment penalty.

Ice Slick (Su): At 1st level, the Cryomancer can walk on any form of ice, mundane or magical, without any hindrance or taking any damage. Also she can touch the ground and freeze it. As a standard action, the Cryomancer can create a thin layer of ice over a radius of 5-ft/class level, centered on herself. The ice lasts for 1 round/class level. Moving on this ice is similar to moving on a grease spell. The reflex save DC 15 + spellcasting modifier. This ability can be used 1 day/2 caster levels (rounded down).

Create Ice (Su): At 2nd level, the Cryomancer can create an anchored plane of ice, up to one 20-ft. square/level, or hemisphere of ice with a radius of up to 3-ft. + 1-ft./level, depending on the version selected. Duration: 1 min./level. Range:Medium (100-ft. + 10-ft./level). A wall of ice cannot form in an area occupied by physical objects or creatures. Its surface must be smooth and unbroken when created. Any creature adjacent to the wall when it is created may attempt a Reflex save to disrupt the wall as it is being formed. A successful save indicates that the spell automatically fails. Fire can melt a wall of ice, and it deals full damage to the wall (instead of the normal half damage taken by objects). Suddenly melting a wall of ice creates a great cloud of steamy fog that lasts for 1 round per caster level. This ability can be used 1 day/4 caster levels (rounded down).

Ice Plane: A sheet of strong, hard ice appears. The wall is 1 inch thick per caster level. It covers up to a 10-foot-square area per caster level (so a 10th-level wizard can create a wall of ice 100 feet long and 10 feet high, a wall 50 feet long and 20 feet high, or some other combination of length and height that does not exceed 1,000 square feet). The plane can be oriented in any fashion as long as it is anchored. A vertical wall need only be anchored on the floor, while a horizontal or slanting wall must be anchored on two opposite sides.

• -Each 10-foot square of wall has 3 hit points per inch of thickness. Creatures can hit the wall automatically. A section of wall whose hit points drop to 0 is breached. If a creature tries to break through the wall with a single attack, the DC for the Strength check is 15 + caster level.
• -Even when the ice has been broken through, a sheet of frigid air remains. Any creature stepping through it (including the one who broke through the wall) takes 1d6 points of cold damage +1 point per caster level (no save).

Hemisphere: The wall takes the form of a hemisphere whose maximum radius is 3 feet + 1 foot per caster level. The hemisphere is as hard to break through as the ice plane form, but it does not deal damage to those who go through a breach.

Frozen Caltrops (Su): At 3rd level, a cryomancer can create cover the ground with small and sharp icicles. As a standard action within a 100-ft range, a cryomancer can fill a number of 5-ft squares with icicles equal to 5-ft square per caster level for a duration of 10 minutes per caster level. Each time a creature moves into an area covered by icicles (or spends a round fighting while standing in such an area), it might step on one. The icicles make an attack roll against the creature, with a base attack bonus +1 per 3 caster levels (treated as magical for the purposes of damage reduction). For this attack, the creature’s shield, armor, and deflection bonuses do not count. If the creature is wearing shoes or other footwear, it gets a +2 armor bonus to AC. If the icicles succeed on the attack, the creature has stepped on one. The icicle deals 1d6 cold damage, and the creature’s speed is reduced by one-half because its foot is wounded. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical curing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a icicles. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of icicles with no trouble.

Crystalline Skin (Su): At 3rd level, the Cryomancer's body becomes supernaturally cold. She is under the constant effects of an endure elements spell. After eight hours of rest, the cryomancer's skin creates a resilient, but delicate sheen of icy armor. She gains immunity to all damage from the first physical attack that successfully strikes her, whether by cut, blow, projectile, or the like. All damage and any effects that would have resulted from the singular attack are negated. Negating the damage also negates any effects such as a snake's poison when it bites, or a ghoul's paralyzing touch. However, magical attacks from spells and spell-like abilities such as Fireball, Magic Missile, Lightning Bolt, and so forth have their normal effects and their damage is not prevented. After the first successful attack strikes you, your crystalline armor shatters and disappears whether the attack was physical or magical, but will regenerate after eight hours of rest. For example: an attacking griffon would shatter the crystalline armor with its first successful natural attack (though the damage would be negated), and the other 2 natural attacks would deal normal damage if successful. Four magic missiles would count as four attacks in addition to inflicting their normal damage.

Chilling Conjuration (Ex): At 3rd level, the Cryomancer's growing power over cold is conferred unto her summons. Whenever summoning a monster through a summon monster , the monster gains the Cold subtype.

Freezing Breath (Su): At 4th level, the Cryomancer gains a breath weapon similar to those of the mighty White Dragons of the frozen north. Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action, a cryomancer can spew forth in a 20-ft cone that deals 1d4 cold damage per caster level. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ caster level + spellcasting modifier) reduces damage by half.

Pillar of Ice (Su): At 5th level, at will as a standard action, the cryomancer can cause a pillar of ice to erupt from the earth within 30 feet of her. The pillar occupies one 5-ft square and is up to 10-ft per caster level tall. A creature standing in the square must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your caster level + spellcasting modifier) or be carried into the air or knocked prone (your choice). You can dismiss a pillar you created as a standard action, but otherwise the pillar remains where you called it forth.

Icicle Guillotine (Su): At 6th level, twice per day a cryomancer can create a sheet of deadly icicles to drop upon her enemies. As a standard action within a 50-ft range +10-ft per 2 caster levels, a cryomancer can create sheets of icicles, up to one 5-ft. cube/level, though each 5-ft cube need not be adjacent to any other. The sheet of icicles falls quickly to the ground upon creation, impaling creatures and then shattering upon impact. Any creature caught beneath a sheet takes 2d6 damage per 10-ft fallen (Maximum 40d6 damage) unless they make a reflex for none, DC 10 + half caster level + spellcasting modifier. Half the damage is cold damage and the other half is bludgeoning damage. Creatures in the square where the sheets had fallen or adjacent to the square take 1d4 piercing damage without a save.

Fell Frost (Su): At 8th level, the Cryomancer's mastery of the frozen tundra allows her spells to bestow freezing on those hurt by her spells. Anyone damaged by one of the Cryomancer's spell that has the [Cold] descriptor must make a Fortitude save (DC calculated as normal for the spell) or be slowed for 1d4 rounds.

Ice Sovereign (Su): At 10th level, the Cryomancer ascends past the frozen tundra and becomes a conduit for the elemental Plane of Cold. She gains the Cold subtype. Armed strikes, unarmed strikes or natural weapons against the cryomancer cause the attacker to take 2d6 cold damage. Any spell she casts with the [Cold] descriptor is treated as if she was one caster level higher.

Campaign Information

Playing a Cryomancer

Combat: The Cryomancer is, first and foremost, squishy, squishy caster. Although their Crystalline Armor ability provides some defense, a Cryomancer should rely on his ability to create monoliths of ice to protect themselves and their party members from hazards during combat. If there are numerous enemies, divide them up and conquer with a few well placed walls. If an enemy is too dangerous, hamper his ability to fight with Ice Slick and Frozen Caltrops. Be careful when using those two abilities because it can affect allies as well. If you can, use Icicle Javelin's to soften up enemies so that they fall prey to your spells with Reflex saves. Throw in a few summoned cold-type creatures or Rimebound Undead to make combat a living hell for your enemies. Upon reaching fourth level, the Cryomancer can use their breath weapon in place of spells (as to conserve their power).

Advancement: A Cryomancer can continue to advance in their base class or take another prestige class that increases the power of their spells and possibly one that focuses still on the cold powers that they have gained from their levels in Cryomancer. Archmage is a good choice for altering the shape of spells (with Mastery of Shaping) or increasing the caster levels of spells even further.

Resources: Cryomancers are specialized wizards and can rely on support and resources from the wizarding community. They are often students and apprentices from the frozen lands and ice deserts and familiar civilizations from these places might offer a Cryomancer shelter, protection, or things that may be of help.

Cryomancers in the World

“	It was like the frozen tundra submitted wholly to her will; it didn't object and it only lived to satisfy her needs.	”
—Tim the Coward, Elf Monk

Cryomancers usually come from frozen lands, learning to control the cold around them and then manipulating it to even more powerful extremes. They are wizard and sorcerers alike who specialize in the art of manipulating the cold and frozen wastes, learning how to focus it's power arcane energy into potent and devastating spells.

NPC Reactions: Cryomancers are often quite recognizable, by their cold exterior and sometimes they have blue skin from their frozen body. Their ability to freeze and manipulate the cold is well known as spectacular in it's power and their ability to command the ice is a trait that awes common folk.

Cryomancer Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research Cryomancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
11	Cryomancers manipulate the cold.
16	Cryomancers cast cold spells much more powerful than normal.
21	Cryomancers can manipulate the air to create a thin layer of ice on their body, shielding them.
26	Eventually, Cryomancers become so powerful they can channel Uttercold into their magic, freezing even those immune to the cold.

Cryomancer in the Game

Cryomancers are casters from frozen wastelands, generally, and they can often be seen as quite eccentric from a view of their cold-like fetish. A Cryomancer can easily fill the slot of a maniacal wizard out to conquer the world or freeze it over, using cold minions and blasting her opponents. They can also be helpful wizards in a cold climate, guides through frozen tundras and such.

Adaptation: As just another prestige class for Wizard, Cryomancers are easily be slotted into the world, as villains or helpful aids.

Sample Encounter: Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess is a crazed Cryomancer from the frozen wastelands. She was once the daughter of an infamous chieftain, Korthar the Lesser, who had sought to form an alliance with a nearby tribe. Chieftain Korthar had offered Kirina as a bride to the other chief. The cleric of Korthar's tribe protested the union, claiming the gods frowned upon it, but a wedding date was set anyways. Kirina was devout and faithful, so when her father stubbornly ignored the cleric's warning, it drove her mad with desperation, and she turned to the cleric for advice. On the day of the wedding, with everyone gathered inside of the grand ceremony hall, Kirina cast a spell and barricaded the outside of the hall with ice, turning it into a frozen tomb for all inside, including her husband-to-be and her own father. With a hired band of mercenaries, Kirina took control of her father's tribe, and the tribe's ancient relics, and led them all into the frozen wastelands. She created a formidable fortress in the desolate wastes. The cleric's sermons of fate and gods have caused an obsession in her heart. Kirina is absolutely obsessed with the idea that she's trying to save the world by freezing it and creating an Age of Ice with her as it's Queen. Princess Kirina resides in a beautiful ice fortress. Her servants include human soldiers, winter wolves, and ice mephits who guard the fortress from all the ill-guided assaults from peasants and adventurers from the nearby town of Throthdar.

Recently an escaped slave/miner from the ice fortress had staggered into the town of Throthdar, with unbelievable news. He claimed to have worked in the mines beneath the home of the Mad Princess, and he spoke of dark magics and evil creatures lurking under the ground. Soon after he arrived, a band of human mercenaries riding winter wolves assaulted Throthdar. The mercenaries' assault failed, but the town of Throthdar is alarmed and wary of the Mad Princess. A captured mercenary has split word that Kirina is planning to make a final assault on the town before rampaging across the rest of the lands. Rumors in the town of Throthdar have convinced the peasants that the Mad Princess is going to let loose an unholy blizzard that will freeze the town and all its' inhabitants. Any adventurers that wander into the town will be brought to the town's elders and implored to go to the lonesome ice fortress, infiltrate it, and seek an audience with the Mad Princess, forcibly or otherwise. If the band of adventurers accept and succeed, then the party will be given a relic from the town elders as payment.

There are also rumors that there is a great treasure or an ancient demon buried beneath the ice fortress. Infilitrating the ice fortress will take time and preparation, including scouting out the area and having the right spells prepared. Groups of mercenary-riding-winter wolves patrol the areas and will hunt down anyone they see. Anyone who assaults the fortress in broad daylight will have dozens of crossbolts rained down upon them. Once inside the fortress courtyard, adventurer's will be attacked by winter wolves and soldiers. Kirina will attempt to deal with the adventurers in the courtyard. If the tide of battle turns against her, Kirina will flee into the mines, whose entrance is in the middle of the courtyard. Without a map, Kirina can easily lose anyone who tries to follow her into the mines, especially with her ability to block off passages. Once at the heart of the mines, she will hastily try to free an ice demon, summoned centuries ago and trapped in a shard of perma-ice. Kirina has been working for the last year to carefully free the demon, and in her haste now she hopes to either make a deal or to bind the demon to do her bidding. The final room containing the demon was an ancient temple, buried whole centuries ago by dirt and snow. It is a very long and wide room, approx. 120-ft long and 60-ft wide, with the Ice Shard at the far end of the room, in front of an altar. The final room has one door leading into the room, upon the door is a Stone of Alarm, used as a handle. 10 feet beyond the door is a 10-ft tall, 10-ft long, 2-ft thick stone wall, in the middle of this wall is the Mirror of Opposition.

CR 12: Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess

Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess

CR 12

	Human Wizard 5/Cryomancer 10
	Chaotic Evil Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init/Senses	+6/Listen −2, Spot −2
Languages	Common, Giant, Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Terran, Undercommon
AC	18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 Armor)
hp	70 (15d4 +30 HD)
Fort/Ref/Will	+6/+6/+9
Speed	30 ft.
Base Atk/Grp	+7/+2/+7
Abilities	Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 22, Wis 6, Cha 12
Feats	Improved Initiative, Energy Substiution, Extend Spell, Combat Casting, Leadership, Heighten Spell, Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning
Skills	Bluff +17, Concentration +17, Diplomacy +7, Craft Armor +21, Decipher Script +21, Knowledge Arcana +21, History +21, Nobility +11, Planes +21, Spellcraft +21.
Possessions	+6 Bracers of Armor, +6 Headband of Intellect, Boots of Levitation, Brooch of Shielding, Hat of Disguise, 3 Bead of Force, 4 Elixir of Sneaking, Dust of Illusion, Bag of Holding, Bag of Devouring, Periapt of Foul Rotting, backpack, bedroll, noble's outfit, traveler's outfit, spell component pouch, 6 gold candles, chalk, soap, 2 waterskins, 5 days rations, 4 gold rings, 7 gems, 643 gold, 92 silver. Mirror of Opposition and Stone of Alarm (both are located down in the mines, the Stone is affixed to the final door leading into the room with the demon in the Ice Shard, and the Mirror is right behind the door upon a small stone wall).

Boots of Levitation: On command, these leather boots allow the wearer to levitate as if she had cast levitate on herself. Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, levitate; Price 7,500 gp;Weight 1 lb.

Brooch of Shielding: This appears to be a piece of silver or gold jewelry used to fasten a cloak or cape. In addition to this mundane task, it can absorb magic missiles of the sort generated by spell or spell-like ability. A brooch can absorb up to 101 points of damage from magic missiles before it melts and becomes useless. Faint abjuration; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, shield; Price 1,500 gp.

Hat of Disguise: This apparently normal hat allows its wearer to alter her appearance as with a disguise self spell. As part of the disguise, the hat can be changed to appear as a comb, ribbon, headband, cap, coif, hood, helmet, and so on. Faint illusion; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, disguise self; Price 1,800 gp.

Bead of Force: This small black sphere appears to be a lusterless pearl. You can throw it up to 60 feet with no range penalties. Upon sharp impact, the bead explodes, sending forth a burst that deals 5d6 points of force damage to all creatures within a 10-foot radius. It functions like a resilient sphere spell (Reflex DC 16 negates) with a radius of 10 feet and a duration of 10 minutes. A globe of shimmering force encloses a creature, provided the latter is small enough to fit within the diameter of the sphere. The sphere contains its subject for the spell’s duration. The sphere is not subject to damage of any sort except from a rod of cancellation, a rod of negation, disintegrate, or a targeted dispel magic spell. These effects destroy the sphere without harm to the subject. Nothing can pass through the sphere, inside or out, though the subject can breathe normally. The subject may struggle, but the globe cannot be physically moved either by people outside it or by the struggles of those within. The explosion completely consumes the bead, making this a one-use item. Moderate evocation; CL 10th; Craft Wondrous Item, resilient sphere; Price 3,000 gp.

Elixir of Sneaking: This draught of liquid grants the drinker the ability to walk softly and dampens sound around her slightly, granting a +10 competence bonus on Move Silently checks for 1 hour. Faint illusion; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, silence; Price 250 gp.

Dust of Illusion: This unremarkable powder resembles chalk dust or powdered graphite. Stare at it, however, and the dust changes color and form. Put dust of illusion on a creature, and that creature is affected as if by a disguise self glamer, with the individual who sprinkles the dust envisioning the illusion desired. An unwilling target is allowed a DC 11 Reflex save to avoid the dust. The glamer lasts for 2 hours. Faint illusion; CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, disguise self; Price 1,200 gp.

Bag of Devouring: This bag appears to be an ordinary sack. Detection for magical properties makes it seem as if it were a bag of holding. The sack is, however, a lure used by an extradimensional creature—in fact, one of its feeding orifices. Any substance of animal or vegetable nature is subject to “swallowing” if thrust within the bag. The bag of devouring is 90% likely to ignore any initial intrusion, but any time thereafter that it senses living flesh within (such as if someone reaches into the bag to pull something out), it is 60% likely to close around the offending member and attempt to draw the whole victim in. The bag has a +8 bonus on grapple checks made to pull someone in. The bag can hold up to 30 cubic feet of matter. It acts as a bag of holding type I, but each hour it has a 5% cumulative chance of swallowing the contents and then spitting the stuff out in some nonspace or on some other plane. Creatures drawn within are consumed in 1 round. The bag destroys the victim’s body and prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse. There is a 50% chance that a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore a devoured victim to life. Check once for each destroyed creature. If the check fails, the creature cannot be brought back to life by mortal magic. Moderate conjuration; CL 17th; In effect, this is a creature and cannot be created; Price n/a.

Periapt of Foul Rotting: This engraved gem appears to be of little value. If any character keeps the periapt in her possession for more than 24 hours, she contracts a terrible rotting affliction that permanently drains 1 point of Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma every week. The periapt (and the affliction) can be removed only by application of a remove curse spell followed by a remove disease and then a heal, miracle, limited wish, or wish spell. The rotting can also be countered by crushing a periapt of health and sprinkling its dust upon the afflicted character (a full-round action), whereupon the periapt of foul rotting likewise crumbles to dust. Faint abjuration; CL 10th; Craft Wondrous Item, contagion; Price 17,000 gp.

Mirror of Opposition: This item resembles a normal mirror about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide. It can be hung or placed on a surface and then activated by speaking a command word. The same command word deactivates the mirror. If a creature sees its reflection in the mirror’s surface, an exact duplicate of that creature comes into being. This opposite immediately attacks the original. The duplicate has all the possessions and powers of its original (including magic). Upon the defeat or destruction of either the duplicate or the original, the duplicate and her items disappear completely. The mirror functions up to four times per day. Strong necromancy; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, clone; Price 92,000 gp;Weight 45 lb.

Stone of Alarm: This stone cube, when given the command word, affixes itself to any object. If that object is touched thereafter by anyone who does not first speak that same command word, the stone emits a piercing screech for 1 hour that can be heard up to a quarter-mile away (assuming no intervening barriers). Faint abjuration; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, alarm; Price 2,700 gp;Weight 2 lb.

Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess is a powerful ice-wielding wizard known as a cryomancer. She has recently taken it upon herself to extract an ice-bound demon to help further her goals of freezing the world. Mad Kirina the Frozen Princess is vain and loves to wear extravagant white dresses and jewelry. She has a rather wiry frame, making her appear less powerful than she actually is. She has long brown hair and auburn eyes.

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