Crystalmancer

Crystals and Crystalmancers

 

Crystalmancers are experts on the subject of the magic Crystals that fuel life and allow the Cloud Isles to fly safely above the clouds. Crystalmancers are responsible for making sure that Crystals are safely refilled and that the spells inscribed on the Crystals function properly. As a member of the Crystalmancers Collective, they are respected by all who reside on the Isles.

 

Crystals and Clusters

The Cloud Isles float thanks to the Purple Crystal Clusters that grow naturally underneath and through the islands. These crystals are fed directly from the magic system set in place by the Paragon. However, this is knowledge kept secret and known only by the Royal Family and the High Council of the Crystalmancers Collective, the academic descendants of the order that became the Aasimon.

Chunks of the Crystal Clusters can be removed and used to power various magical tools, from lamps in homes to keeping the Skyships afloat. Once a crystal has been separated from its cluster, it will no longer grow. Additionally, once separated from its cluster, each Crystal will take on a distinct shade that indicates the amount of power that can be stored within.

(Table One) Crystal Guide

	Buying Cost:	Crystal Level	Refill DC	Inscribe DC	Standard Crystal Size:	Weight:
Clear Fragments	15g	(0) Cantrip	19	10	1” x 1” Disk	Negligible
Blue Crystal	50g	1 Level	18	11	2” x 2” Disk	1 lbs.
Teal Crystal	100g	2 Level	17	12	4” x 4” Disk	2.5 lbs.
Green Crystal	250g	3 Level	16	13	6” Orb	5 lbs.
Lime Crystal	500g	4 Level	15	14	12” Orb	15 lbs.
Yellow Crystal	1,000g	5 Level	14	15	24” Orb	25 lbs.
Copper Crystal	5,000gp	6 Level	13	16	36” Orb	50 lbs.
Orange Crystal	10,000gp	7 Level	12	17	4x4x4 Cube	100 lbs.
Coral Crystal	25,000gp	8 Level	11	18	5x5x5 Cube	250 lbs.
Red Crystal	50,000gp	9 Level	10	19	6x6x6 Cube	500-1000 lbs.
Crystal Clusters	N/A	N/A	N/A	30	N/A	1000+ lbs.

 

Energy Economy

In Blythmire, managing how much energy you use is essential to making sure you never run out. A Crystal can be used to cast a spell at a level equal to or below its power threshold once. An example of this would be a non-magic user casting a cantrip inscribed on a Flake. For a spellcaster, a filled crystal will allow them to cast a spell like a free spell slot of the equivalent rank. They will have the option to cast the inscribed spell, if present, or cast a known spell. If this spell slot is above their current abilities, the spellcaster will have to roll an Arcana Check DC: 10 + spell level. If they fail, the spell will fail, and the spellcaster will take a level of exhaustion per spell slot greater than their capabilities.

This, however, is the least common use of the magic crystals, as it drains the Crystal of its energy and therefore will need to be refilled by a skilled Crystalmancer. More commonly, a much larger crystal will be networked to smaller crystals and funnel magic through them and their inscriptions. When networked in a system, a Crystal can support a spell at least one level lower in power continuously. A Blue Crystal (Chip) holds twice the power of a Flake, and therefore, would be able to support a single cantrip for a month. A Teal Crystal, one step higher, would be able to support two cantrips for the same duration. A Green Crystal would support four, a Lime Crystal would support eight, and a Yellow would support sixteen for a month. A household can double the number of spells but would then be required to refill the Crystal twice as often.

Unfortunately, only one spell can be inscribed on a Crystal at a time. To overcome this, Crystalmancers are trained with unique techniques. They can link Crystals together in a network, allowing magic to flow from a larger store through a smaller crystal with inscriptions on the smaller crystals. With a network, only the larger Crystal requires refilling.

Crystalmancers are specifically trained in the art of refilling crystals, either from their personal magic stores or from a large source such as a Crystal Cluster, and inscribing glyphs onto crystals, enabling non-magic users to cast magic (up to a maximum of 2 Level Spells). This same system allows spellcasters to use magic not available to their class.

Refilling and inscribing crystals requires skill, talent, and above all, training in the kill of Crystalmancy. Without the proper knowledge a crystal is highly likely to break. The smaller a crystal, the more likely refilling it will break the Crystal. For the required Crystalmancy Refill DC, see the table above. The skill required to inscribe spells increases as the spell levels increase, an inverse of the skill necessary to refill a Crystal. For the required Crystalmancy Inscribe DC, see the table above.

Improperly refilling or inscribing can cause the Crystal being worked on to shatter, resulting in a magical blast equal to 1d10 x Crystal Level in a radius of 10 ft x Crystal Level. Fragments will simply crumble to dust. (For more details, see: Crystalmancer (Artificer Subclass))

Functional Uses

Crystals and the magic within them form an essential part of day-to-day life in the Cloud Isles. The most commonly owned Crystals are Flakes, Chips, Teal Crystals, Green Crystals, Lime Crystals, and Yellow Crystals. Crystals above Yellow in power are too expensive for the average household to purchase, despite that they would last twice as long. Middle-class homes will often each have a Yellow Crystal, while lower households might own a Lime Crystal, which costs half as much as a Yellow Crystals to buy and refill, even if they need to supply it twice a month instead of once. Fortunately for most families, the cost to fill a crystal is roughly 1/100 of the purchasing price. This means a family will be able to power their Flakes for about 10gp a month.

Utility spells are the most common spells inscribed onto crystals. According to the Energy Economy, one Yellow Crystal might support eight Light inscribed Flakes, two Chips inscribed with Create or Destroy Water and Unseen Servant, and a Teal Crystal embedded in a door inscribed with Arcane Lock. Any more and the Crystal won’t last the full month.

Crystalmancers Collective

The Crystalmancers Collective serves to teach and train Crystalmancers, the backbone of society and the economy in Blythmire. Without the knowledge of the Crystalmancers, the general populace would be left without trade, fresh water, even some food. The Crystalmancer Collective does not abuse their valued position in society, and instead see their work as a divine mandate.

The High Council

The High Council of the Crystalmancers Collective makes decisions regarding advancement in rank, approving expenditures, organizing research, and etc. The High Council is made up of five seats, four grandmasters elected by their peers, with terms lasting five years, and the eldest Grandmaster, who serves as Chair and tiebreaker. The eldest of the High Council is among the few who know the truth about the Crystals, that they come from the Aasimon, and along with the Prophet of the Church and the Sovereign of the Empire, know that the Paragon is on the mortal realm.

Grandmaster

Grandmasters are the most skill and powerful of the Crystalmancers. They have trained for years and are experienced enough that they rarely fail when working with Crystalmancy. Highly respected, any Grandmaster has the opportunity to put themselves forward to be elected to the High Council. A Grandmaster might take several pupils, training them personally.

Master

Masters of Crystalmancy have proven their skill and are accepted as highly capable. Many who reach this rank take up teaching at the Collective.

Journeyman

Those who are Journeyman are trusted to do most of their work with little to no oversight. While there are a few tasks still beyond their skill, they are capable of doing most of the general Crystalmancer work. Often times, these are the individuals who refill Skyship Crystals from the clusters.

Novice

Still new to the world of Crystalmancy, they have just earned their Crystalmancy Tools and are skilled enough to use them properly. Few things are trusted Novices without guided oversight, as the chance of a deadly accident still exists.

The Art and the Tools

3rd-level Crystalmancer feature

You gain proficiency with [Tooltip Not Found].

The Crystalmancer Tools consist of two items: a special monocle, which grants the wearer the ability to see the magical channels Crystalmancers use to refill and network Crystals, and a pen-like utensil, which can be used to inscribe magic spells. These items are essential to the work of the Crystalmancer. While using the Crystalmancer Tools, and proficient with their use, the user gains advantage when working with Crystals.

Inscribable Spells

3-level Crystalmancer feature

Beginning at 3 Level, a Crystalmancer has the ability to transcribe spells they know as Glyphs. These Glyphs can then be inscribe onto Crystals, from which energy can be used to activate the spell. These Glyphs are stored in a special spellbook, where the Glyphs can be preserved accurately and with detailed notations. For each level of the spell, the process takes 1 hour and costs 10 gp (Cantrips should be calculated the same as a 1 level spell for cost purposes only). The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the Glyph to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

Crystalmancers can also dedicate time to creating Glyphs for spells known by other classes. These spells must be a spell level you can cast and require far greater skill and time to master. Successfully creating a Glyph of a spell not available to the Artificer Class requires 2 hours of concentrated study and 50 gp per level of spell, as well as a successful Arcana Check DC: 10 + spell level. You may only attempt to inscribe a number of Crystals per day equal to half of your Artificer Levels, rounded down.

	Buying Cost:	Crystal Level	Refill DC	Inscribe DC	Standard Crystal Size:	Weight:
Clear Fragments	15g	(0) Cantrip	19	10	1” x 1” Disk	Negligible
Blue Crystal	50g	1 Level	18	11	2” x 2” Disk	1 lbs.
Teal Crystal	100g	2 Level	17	12	4” x 4” Disk	2.5 lbs.
Green Crystal	250g	3 Level	16	13	6” Orb	5 lbs.
Lime Crystal	500g	4 Level	15	14	12” Orb	15 lbs.
Yellow Crystal	1,000g	5 Level	14	15	24” Orb	25 lbs.
Copper Crystal	5,000gp	6 Level	13	16	36” Orb	50 lbs.
Orange Crystal	10,000gp	7 Level	12	17	4x4x4 Cube	100 lbs.
Coral Crystal	25,000gp	8 Level	11	18	5x5x5 Cube	250 lbs.
Red Crystal	50,000gp	9 Level	10	19	6x6x6 Cube	500-1000 lbs.
Crystal Clusters	N/A	N/A	N/A	30	N/A	1000+ lbs.

Crystal Networking

5-level Crystalmancer feature

The secret art of the Crystalmancers has long been their ability to network crystals, making the use of crystals safer and more efficient.

Networking crystals can be used to refill a smaller crystal from a larger crystal, or to create a system of smaller crystals with inscription that pull energy from a larger crystal. Networking crystals mitigates much of the danger involved in refilling crystals. When networking a permanent system of Crystals, not refilling, refer to the Crystalmancy Inscribe DC of the larger crystal on the Crystal Guide table as the DC for successfully linking a crystal.

When refilling via networking, should you fail the Crystalmancy Refill DC required to refill a Crystal, the Crystals involved will not detonate, instead they will simply fail and will require 1 hour per Crystal level before networking or refilling can be safely attempted. Fragments will crumble regardless.

To learn these secrets, a Master of Crystalmancer must teach it to you directly after you have reached 5 Level. Until such time, you will not be able to utilize this technique. Upon receiving the knowledge, you will also gain the rank of Journeyman in the Crystalmancers Collective.

Expertise

9-level Crystalmancer feature

You gain expertise in Crystalmancy.

Additionally, upon reaching this level you will also be granted the rank of Master in the Crystalmancers Collective.

Flawless Crystalmancy

15-level Crystalmancer feature

At 15 Level, you have mastered the skill and art required to safely inscribe and refill Crystals. When making a Crystalmancy Skill Check, treat any roll less than your Crystalmancy skill modifier as equal to your Crystalmancy skill modifier.

Additionally, upon reaching this level you will also be granted the rank of Grandmaster in the Crystalmancers Collective.