Ice Mage

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erik
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Ice Mage

Post by erik »

A simple alt of Frank's Fire Mage. I'm putting this up here for my own benefit of reference, and if others would enjoy doing so, have at it. Has a bit less blasting vs Fire Mage, and more creation stuff. Which winds up being a power-up since the Fire Mage has a bit of overkill on blasting so any extra versatility at the cost of some blasting is a bump at nearly no cost.

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Ice Mage
"The cold never bothered me anyway."

Alignment: Cold is a force of nature, and as such a lot of Ice Mages tend to be neutral.

Races: Ice Mages appear in all races, though are most common among races that live in regions with significant winter seasons.

Starting Gold: 6d6x10 gp (210 gold)

Starting Age: As Rogue.

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: The Ice Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

(Pathfinder class skill list conversion:)
[spoiler]Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis)[/spoiler]

Skills/Level: 4 + Intelligence Bonus
BAB: Low (as Sorcerer), Saves: Fort: Good; Reflex: Poor; Will: Good

Level, Benefit
1 Cold Resistance, Ice Block, Ice Bolts (Close), Freeze, Cold Magic
2 Ice-Over, Snow Sculpting
3 Piercing Cold, Shivering Touch, Cold Style Learning
4 Cold Immunity, Improved Snow Sculpting
5 Hail Blast, Cold Style Learning
6 Brain Freeze
7 Cold Style Learning, Lifelike Snow Sculpting
8 Frozen Heart, Ice Bolts (Medium)
9 Ice Wall, Cold Style Learning
10 Cold Snap
11 Brumal Architect, Icewalk, Cold Style Learning
12 Ice Minion, Ice Bolts (Long)
13 Blizzard, Cold Style Learning
14 Absolute Snow Sculpting, Flash Freeze
15 Winter Has Come, Cold Style Learning, Apostheosis

All of the following are Class Features of the Ice Mage class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ice Mages are proficient with all simple weapons and all light and medium armors.

Cold Resistance (Ex): An Ice Mage has a Resistance to Cold equal to twice their level. The Ice Mage is also unhindered by environmental or terrain effects related to cold, ice, and snow.

Ice Block (Su): As an immediate action, an Ice Mage can create an icy barrier to block attacks. The barrier grants a +1 deflection bonus to AC to one creature within close range, lasting 1 round. The AC bonus improves with an additional +1 deflection bonus to AC at every third level of Ice Mage (3, 6, 9, 12, 15) to a maximum of +6 total.

Ice Bolts (Su): An Ice Mage can throw bolts of ice as an attack action. An Ice Bolt travels out to Close range, and inflicts 1d6 points of Cold damage per level. An Ice Bolt strikes its target with a ranged touch attack. At 8th level the range improves to Medium. At 12th level the range improves to Long.

Freeze (Sp): An Ice Mage begins with the cantrip Create Snow, which functions as Create Water, but creating an equal volume of snow or ice instead. This cantrip can be used at will.

Cold Magic (Ex): An Ice Mage is considered to have every spell with the Cold descriptor on their spell list for the purpose of activating magic items, item creation, and qualifying for prerequisites with a caster level equal to their Ice Mage level. As such the Ice Mage is considered to qualify for the feat Obtain Familiar. The Ice Mage with Improved Familiar may grant the Ice Beast template to their Familiar instead of the Fiendish or Celestial template. An Ice Mage's spell-like abilities granted by this class treat their Ice Mage level as the caster level, and saving throw DCs are DC 10 + ½ Ice Mage Level + Charisma Modifier.

Ice-Over (Su): As a touch attack, a 2nd level Ice Mage can cause one creature per Ice Mage level to suddenly freeze and be covered in a thin layer of ice. A freezing creature suffers 1d6 points of Cold damage per round, and the creature can attempt to knock the ice off and halt further cold damage with a DC 15 Reflex save (similar to rules in DMG for putting out fire, p. 303). The Ice Mage can also cast Shatter at will and its energy type becomes Cold instead of Sonic, but it continues to ignore hardness as though it was Sonic.

Snow Sculpting (Su): A 2nd level Ice Mage can create simple objects from snow and ice. As a standard action the Ice Mage can create simple non-magical items out of standard materials and lacking moving parts and with a value of no more than 25 gp. The items appear normal but are cold to the touch, and they last 10 minutes per Ice Mage level before turning back to ice or snow.

Cold Style Learning (Sp): At 3rd level and every additional odd level of Ice Mage (5, 7, 9 etc.) the character can select one spell from the Sorcerer list as a sorcerer of their Ice Mage level and can cast that spell as a spell-like ability 3 times per day. Spells learned and cast in this manner gain the Cold descriptor and visual manifestations of the spell have a cold appearance (Web made of ice, Greater Magic Weapon takes on an icy appearance, etc.). This spell will also be added to the Ice Mage's spell list per the Cold Magic class feature.

Piercing Cold (Ex): From 3rd level on, an Ice Mage's Cold cuts through Cold Resistance, hardness, and Immunity. No more than ½ of the damage inflicted by their Cold damage can be negated by hardness or immunity or resistance to Cold. In addition, the Ice Mage ignores the first 5 points of Cold Resistance that a target has.

Shivering Touch (Su): A 3rd level Ice Mage can leech the heat from a person with but a touch, enabling the Ice Mage to count as armed at all times, even with unarmed attacks. The Ice Mage deals an extra 1d6 points of Cold damage with all melee attacks, and at 6th level ranged attacks also deal an extra 1d6 Cold damage. At 9th level all melee and ranged weapon attacks also inflict Ice-Over on a successful attack. At 12th level all melee and ranged weapon attacks also inflict Brain Freeze on a successful attack as well.

Cold Immunity (Ex): A 4th level Ice Mage is immune to Cold damage and Cold effects.

Improved Snow Sculpting (Sp): A 4th level Ice Mage as a standard action can create more complex non-magical items including masterwork items out of standard materials and with a value of no more than 1000 gp. The items appear normal but are cold to the touch, and they last 1 hour per Ice Mage level before turning back to ice or snow.

Hail Blast (Sp): A 5th level Ice Mage can summon freezing hail anywhere within Medium Range as a Full Round Action. This ice crashes down into a 20' radius cylinder 40’ tall and inflicts 1d6 points of Cold Damage per level. All creatures within the area are entitled to a Reflex save to halve damage.

Brain Freeze (Sp): A 6th level Ice Mage can trigger a sharp pain in a creature's mind, causing the sickness condition for a number of rounds equal to their Level. The target must be within Close Range, and is entitled to a Will Save to negate this effect. This is a Mind Influencing Compulsion effect. At 9th level Brain Freeze does not offer a saving throw to negate its effect.

Lifelike Snow Sculpting (Sp): A 7th level Ice Mage can create creatures from snow and ice. By spending 1 minute per square foot of area the Ice Mage can shape snow into life-like creatures. The Ice Mage may perform a caster level check against a DC for creating animals from snow or ice otherwise the time is wasted and the snow collapses. The creatures require an amount of snow or ice based upon their size. Completed sculptures last 1 hour per Ice Mage level. The Ice Mage may not create a creature whose CR is greater than their level -4 using this ability.

• Diminutive animal requires 1 square foot and is a DC 6 caster level check to complete.
• Tiny animal requires 2 square foot and is a DC 8 caster level check to complete.
• Small animal requires 4 square feet and is a DC 10 caster level check to complete.
• Medium animal requires 8 square feet and is a DC 12 caster level check to complete.
• Large animal requires 16 square feet and is a DC 14 caster level check to complete.
• Huge animal requires 32 square feet and is a DC 16 caster level check to complete.
• Gargantuan animal requires 64 square feet and is a DC 18 caster level check to complete.
• Colossal animal requires 128 square feet and is a DC 20 caster level check to complete.

These creatures behave as normal animals, though with a friendly disposition towards the Ice Mage. They may be commanded via Handle Animal as if trained. Caster level plus charisma modifier may be used in lieu of Handle Animal for this purpose.

Frozen Heart (Sp): An 8th level Ice Mage's soul has become cold as ice, and is no longer susceptible to Energy Drain or Fear effects. The Ice Mage also cannot benefit from morale bonuses.

Ice Wall (Sp): A 9th level Ice Mage can cast Wall of Ice at will.

Cold Snap (Sp): At 10th level, an Ice Mage can surround themself with a nimbus of blue flames that extends for 10' in all directions from their person. All other targets in this area suffer 1d10 points of Cold Damage per Ice Mage level, but are entitled to a Reflex Save to halve damage. In addition, an Ice Mage can cast Fire Shield at will (Chill Shield only).

Brumal Architect (Sp): An 11th level Ice Mage can create effects as though they possessed a Lyre of Building with the exception that any construction must be built of ice or snow, and the Perform checks (DC 18) are not limited to string instruments.

Icewalk (Sp): At 11th level an Ice Mage can walk into any relatively flat and smooth sheet of ice large enough to fit their person and appear in any other piece of ice that is likewise of sufficient size anywhere on the same plane of existence. The Ice Mage must know where the target ice is. The Ice Mage can take any number of willing creatures they are touching or carried objects that are also able to fit in both ice sheets. Treat this effect as Transport Via Plants using an ice sheet as the medium rather than a plant. The Ice Mage can use this ability 3 times per day.

Ice Minion (Sp): Once per day a 12th level Ice Mage can create creatures from ice, with Conjure Ice Beast VI (Frostburn) as a spell-like ability, except the duration is permanent. An Ice Mage may only have one Ice Minion spell active at a time (though the spell can be used to create multiple lesser summons); a second casting will dismiss the first Ice Minion causing it to crumble and disappear. The Ice Minion becomes more powerful as the Ice Mage advances in level. At 13th level the Ice Mage can use this as Conjure Ice Beast VII. At 14th level the Ice Mage can use this ability as Conjure Ice Beast VIII, and at 15th level the Ice Mage can use this ability as Conjure Ice Beast IX.

Blizzard (Sp): As a Full Round Action, a 13th level Ice Mage can create huge billowing clouds of snow. The blizzard must be created within Long range and persist for 3 rounds regardless of whether the Ice Mage remains within range. The blizzard functions as Solid Fog except the cloud is shapeable, and covers at most 3 x 10' cubes per Level. Each round on your turn, starting when you complete casting the spell, the blizzard deals 6d6 points of Cold damage to each creature and object within it. Creatures and magical objects affected can attempt a Fortitude save to halve damage.

Absolute Snow Sculpting (Sp): A 14th level Ice Mage can cast Shadow Conjuration, Greater as a spell-like ability 3 times per day, but the creation is obviously made of ice and treated as having already been perceived as unreal, and thus are at 60% potency for all effects. Also, items made from Improved Snow Sculpting can be made from special materials and have no gp limit, and have a duration of 1 day per Ice Mage level.

Flash Freeze (Sp): A 14th level Ice Mage can cast Flesh to Ice at will.

Winter Has Come (Sp): At 15th level, the Ice Mage can bring winter wherever they go. The Ice Mage can cast Fimbulwinter as a spell-like ability at will. When outdoors within the area of a Fimbulwinter as a full round action the Ice Mage can summon deadly icicles from the sky. The ice inflicts 1d6 points of Cold Damage per level, and victims are entitled to a Reflex save to halve damage. The Ice Mage chooses which squares are struck with ice within line of sight and within the range of the Fimbulwinter.

Apostheosis (Ex): Upon reaching the pinnacle of their craft, the Ice Mage gains the Cold Subtype and DR /Magic based upon the Ice Beast Template (10/Magic at 15 HD, 15/Magic at 20+ HD). Additionally the character can now treat their character level as class level for Ice Mage level based class effects.

Ice Beast Template
[spoiler]
Ice Beast

An ice beast is a magical construct of ice and snow created by means of a conjure ice beast spell (or similar effect) in the image of a real creature. It is a mindless automaton that follows its creator's orders. An ice beast resembles whatever creature it is modeled after in general shape and size, but it is composed entirely of pale blue ice.

An ice beast does only what it is ordered to do. It can draw no conclusions of its own and takes no initiative. Its instructions must always be simple, such as, "Attack that giant" or "Stay close and attack anyone who threatens me."
Creating An Ice Beast

"Ice beast" is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature (other than an undead or a creature with the fire subtype), hereafter referred to as the base creature.

Size and Type: The creature's type changes to construct. It loses all previous subtypes, but gains the cold subtype. It does not gain the augmented subtype. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Hit Dice and Hit Points: Drop any Hit Dice gained from class levels (to a minimum of 1) and change remaining Hit Dice to d10s. As a construct, the creature loses any Constitution bonus to hit points, but gains bonus hit points based on its size, as shown below:
Ice Beast Size Bonus Hit Points
Small 10 bonus hp
Medium 20 bonus hp
Large 30 bonus hp
Huge 40 bonus hp
Gargantuan 60 bonus hp
Colossal 80 bonus hp

The creature loses any fly speed it formerly possessed. If it had a burrow speed, it keeps its burrow speed but may only burrow in snow and ice.

The creature's natural armor bonus changes to a number based on its size:
Ice Beast Size Natural Armor Bonus
Tiny or smaller +1
Small +2
Medium +4
Large +6
Huge +8
Gargantuan +11
Colossal +15

Base Attack: An ice beast's base attack bonus is equal to 3/4 of its Hit Dice.

Attacks: An ice beast retains all the natural attacks, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A humanoid with no natural attacks gains a slam attack.

Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage based on the ice beast's size. (If the base creature already had a slam attack, use the ice beast's slam attack only if it's better.)
Ice Beast Size Slam Attack Damage
Diminutive or Fine 1
Tiny 1d2
Small 1d4
Medium 1d6
Large 1d8
Huge 2d6
Gargantuan 3d6
Colossal 4d6

Special Attacks: An ice beast loses all special attacks of the base creature. It gains one (and only one) of the following special attacks, chosen by its maker at the time of its creation.

Cold Aura (Su): The ice beast deals 1d6 points of cold damage to all creatures within 10 feet as a free action at the beginning of its turn each round.

Engulf (Su): As a standard action, the ice beast can attempt to engulf a single opponent it threatens. The opponent must be one size or more smaller than the ice beast, so a Large ice beast can engulf Medium or smaller creatures. The target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the ice beast's Hit Dice + the ice beast's Str modifier) to avoid being engulfed. A creature engulfed by the ice beast is considered to be pinned and trapped inside its body. The engulfed creature takes 2d6 points of cold damage per round on its turn, and may begin to drown (although it can hold its breath). An ice beast can only engulf one victim at a time. To escape, the victim must escape the pin and then escape the grapple by winning grapple checks against the ice beast. The victim can choose to make Escape Artist checks in place of grapple checks. If the ice beast is killed, any engulfed victims are freed.

Frigid Touch (Su): The ice beast deals an extra 1d6 points of cold damage with each successful melee attack.

Ice Breath (Su): As a standard action, the ice beast can breathe cold. Its breath weapon deals 1d6 points of cold damage per 2 HD it possesses (minimum 1d6, maximum 10d6) in a 30-foot cone (DC 10 + 1/2 the ice beast's HD, Reflex save half). Once an ice beast uses its ice breath, it must wait 1d4 rounds before it can use its breath weapon again.

Special Qualities: An ice beast loses all special qualities of the base creature. It gains the following special qualities:

Cold Subtype (Ex): An ice beast has immunity to cold. It has vulnerability to fire, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.

Construct Traits: An ice beast has immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to extra damage from critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Cannot heal damage, but can be repaired. It has darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.

Damage Reduction (Su): The ice beast gains damage reduction based on its Hit Dice, as shown below:
Hit Dice Damage Reduction
1-4 HD None
5-9 HD 5/magic
10-19 HD 10/magic
20 HD+ 15/magic[/spoiler]


[edit I scaled back the BAB and ref saves and sword proficiencies. They’re not that necessary I’d say since you get touch attacks as standard you don’t care about BAB offensively and there’s not a great fluff weapon to pair. Axes and picks maybe. I mostly included all that at first to mirror the Fire Mage and have since had second thoughts. Only nerf I am shaky on is the ref saves since you’re obviously never gonna multiclass so the ref saves will always be shit while fort and will remain merely subpar.

Tweaked some special abilities too. Mostly adding a bit to the more minor powers that were mostly useless compared to the standard ice bolt and hail blast. Gain Shatter with Ice-over which now can affect multiple targets. Etc. Nerfed brain freeze to rounds duration from minutes. Gave the weapon cold damage to ranged as well not just melee. Applying brain freeze to all melee and ranged attacks at like level 9-10. It’s mostly fluff by then since you’d rather just deal damage.

Clarified Cold Style Spells, and a got rid of Chill Factor as a bonus and just made it into Freeze/Create Snow.
Last edited by erik on Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:42 am, edited 34 times in total.
Fwib
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Post by Fwib »

Ice Block (Sp): As an immediate action, an Ice Mage can create an icy barrier to block attacks. The barrier grants a +1 deflection bonus to AC lasting 1 round with an additional +1 for at every third level of Ice Mage (3, 6, 9, 12, 15) to a maximum of +6 total.
Is Ice Block caster-only, or does it cover an area, or what?
Last edited by Fwib on Sat Jan 05, 2019 12:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Ah. I didn’t have that ambiguity when it was in my brain. I was intending it to be a personal defense. I suppose it could be used to protect someone else and I like that. Lemme amend that to be clear.
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Post by JonSetanta »

It works well right up until you encounter a White Dragon.
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erik
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Post by erik »

It actually still brings some punch against cold subtype creatures, a bit less so, but that is ok. It's not supposed to beat everything solo. I think it would do somewhere in the 50-75% same game test range, but I honestly haven't run it through the paces.

I edited all the spells to have hyperlinks to serve as a better a reference doc. And I knocked the level 14 3/day shades down to 3/day greater shadow conjuration.

Also toned down the damage for the level 13 Blizzard. It was basically Acid Fog on steroids. Still is a bit stronger than Acid Fog, but takes a full round to cast and comes on line 2 levels later. So seems legit. The at will is offset by that you need to keep re-upping it every 3 rounds if you want to keep it going.

So Fire Mage deals a lot more damage, but Ice Mage can create goo-gaws and a strong minion for more defense and versatility.

Added a blurb to permit Ice Mages to get familiars, since I figure Olaf is an Ice Beast templated Homunculus.

Polished some language as well.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Did some tweaking and added very limited casting so that there can be a little variability between different ice mages by getting one spell per spell level at cohort access rates (2 behind wizard). I’m pretty happy now I think. May run it through some same game testing later.
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Post by Whiysper »

Casting time on the creation spells - without you specifying that they take as long as the base spell, they default to a Standard action. Might be intended, might not, but at-will creation spells can be a pain to adjudicate on-the-fly - they're also massively useful, so as a player I wouldn't complain, but thought it was worth checking.

Otherwise, looks very smooth.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Spell-like abilities default to same casting time as spell they imitate methinks.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities wrote: A spell-like ability takes the same amount of time to complete as the spell that it mimics (usually 1 standard action) unless otherwise stated.
That said I wouldn’t mind them taking a standard but it was not my intention to make then SLA an improved version of the spells. And thanks for the compliment :-)

Edit. One thing I’m wondering if I should edit for clarity is to say that despite cold style learning spells gaining the cold descriptor their damage types do not change- so fireball is still fire damage but cold descriptor does allow them to add those spells to ones they can use spell completion or spell trigger items with... any maybe other consequences I missed. I could tweak the chill factor description to say that any damaging spell with cold descriptor gains that effect. So a cold style fireball adds chill factor cold damage plus regular fire damage.
Last edited by erik on Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Whiysper »

Huh. I obviously wound up somewhere stupid from my quick googlin'. Oh well!

I'd say yes - atm, you can opt to learn a fire damage spell, which doesn't gain your bonus damage, or an ice damage spell, which does.

"When dealing damage with a Spell-Like ability with the <Cold> descriptor...."

would seem to cover that, as you say.
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Post by Usamimi »

The table references Piercing Flames. However, this is not a class feature.
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erik
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Post by erik »

Lol, wow, I don't know how I missed that. Thanks!

As earlier noted many of the abilities are straight up transcriptions of Frank's Fire Mage with Cold subbed in instead of Fire. Somehow that table entry missed the swapperoo. Thanks again for catching that.
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Post by Chamomile »

I thought Fire Mage was one of K's?
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erik
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Post by erik »

Multiple people made their own versions. Josh made a 20 level version. This one just happened to be cribbed off of this.

Incidentally Maxus made a couple versions of an Ice Mage (Icewalker, later replaced by Snowscaper). I like mine better to the extent that it seems more fun to play/build, but might not have bothered to make it if I'd realized those existed beforehand.
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