The World of Arr-Kelaan

Dwarven ForgeMagic

As a race, Dwarves are decidedly non-magical; distrusting wizard magic and only grudgingly accepting of clerical magic. However, approximately two percent of the Dwarven population is gifted with the ability to use ForgeMagic; a form of spellcasting unique to Dwarves and vital to the construction of their magical weapons and armor.

ForgeMagic consists of eight basic spells: Cold, Death, Heat, Light, Protection, Sharpness, Speed, and Strength. These eight spells are woven together with the metal of a weapon as it is being crafted to endow it with magical characteristics.

Cold

The Cold spell is used when fashioning weapons designed to do more damage against creatures with weaknesses to cold. It is used in the manufacture of FrostBrand swords and weapons which cause increased damage against reptiles and fire-based or fire-using using creatures.

At first level, the Cold spell is used to creature weapons which do more damage against specific opponents.

At second level, the Cold spell creates a FrostBrand weapon.

Death

The Death spell is the most difficult of all ForegMagic spells to master, and is only acquired after many, many years of forging weapons and use of the less complicated spells. It can endow a weapon with fearsome abilities.

At first level, the Death spell is used to create weapons which have an increased to hit and damage bonus (typically three steps higher than the base value of the sword) against creatures of specific types. An example of a weapon with a first level Death spell could be a +1 sword that gains +4 vs. Giants.

At second level, the Death spell will produce a magic weapon which will always do twice the maximum normal damage against a creatures of specific type.

At third level, the Death spell is used to create weapons of Slaying. These most feared of weapons are capable of instantly killing creatures of many types. The third level Death spell can only be invoked once for any given weapon and can never be recharged. Once used, a third level Death spell will be altered into a first or second level Death spell (95% 1st level, 5% 2nd level) of the same type. Thus, a Sword of Vampire Slaying, when it fulfills its purpose and destroys a vampire, would become a sword +1, +4 vs. vampires 95% of the time and a double maximum damage vs. vampires 5% of the time.

It is very difficult for all but the finest Masterweaponsmiths to forge more than one Death spell into a weapon, but a few such weapons are known to exist.

The most fearsome of all is a Weapon of Slaying Others; this weapon of awesome power always does double maximum damage against any opponent of the weapon's wielder. A weapon of this incredible power can only be forged by the Grandmaster of the Guild of Dwarven Weaponsmiths together with the aid of all twenty members of the High Council of Dwarven Weaponsmiths. In the long history of the Guild of Dwarven Weaponsmiths, only three such weapons have ever been created. The weapon of the High King of the United Dwarven Clans is an Axe of Slaying Others. The other two Weapons of Slaying Others, a black-bladed long sword and a silver-mithril war hammer, have been lost and their whereabouts are not known.

Heat

Heat is the most basic of all ForgeMagic spells. It is the first spell of ForgeMagic to manifest itself in a talented individual, and is the primary indicator that a Dwarf should follow the path to becoming a Master Weaponsmith. There are four levels of the Heat spell.

Beginning at first level, the Heat spell allows the Dwarf to 'sense' the patterns of heat within forged metal, giving the smith the ability to craft weapons of superior temper and quality.

At second level, the Heat spell allows the smith to guide the heat within forged metal in much the same manner as the Wizard spell Heat Metal. Using the spell in this manner, the smith can forge weapons of normal iron and steel without the need of a furnace.

At third level, the Heat spell will cause a weapon to glow red-hot inflicting +1 damage and igniting flammable materials such as paper or cloth. The smith can also use a third level Heat spell to craft a weapon of superior metals -- mithril or adamantium -- without the need of a furnace.

At fourth level, the Heat spell will cause a weapon to actually burst into very hot flame, and is the method by which FlameTongue swords and weapons are created.

Light

Light, is one of the most common dweommers of magical weapons. Most adventurers find the ability of a weapon to shed light highly desirable.

At first level, the Light spell manifests as a weapon which sheds light in a 10' radius when unsheathed.

At second level, the Light spell allows for emmission of light to be controlled by the weapon's wielder. Changes of radius, color, and brightness are all possible. Weapons made with a second level Light spell can create light of any color and brightness from barely visible to full Continual Light in any radius from 5' to 30'.

At third level, the Light spell can impart more powerful effects into the weapon such as, blinding flashes (with the effects of a Cause Blindness spell), lightning (typically a 5d6 bolt 1/day), or the power of Sunswords.

Protection

The Protection spell is a basic ForgeMagic spell imparting upon the weapon the ability to confer an armor class bonus to it's wielder in the same manner as Rings of Protection. There are five levels of Protection spells. At each level, the spell can impart an armor class bonus of +1 per level. Therefore, a weapon with a third level Protection spell would grant its wielder +3 protection. Additionally, the third level Protection spell also be used to create a weapon +2, 5' radius protection, the fourth level Protection spell can also be used to create a weapon +3, 5' radius protection or a weapon +4 on AC, +2 on saving throws. At fifth level, the weapon will always be +6 on AC, +1 on saving throws.

Sharpness

The Sharpness spell, like the Death spell, is difficult to master and only used by the most accomplished Weaponsmiths. Through the use of this spell, weapons of incredible sharpness can be created. There are two levels of Sharpness.

At first level, the Sharpness spell is used to create Weapons of Sharpness

At second level, the Sharpness spell is used to create Vorpal Weapons.

Speed

The Speed spell is another basic ForgeMagic spell which makes a weapon quicker to strike with, usually giving its wielder an initiative bonus in melee combat. There are six levels of Speed spells which can be forged into a weapon. Speed spells of levels one through four reduce the weapon's speed factor by 2 per level (with a speed factor of 0 being the lowest possible). At level five, the Speed spell creates a Weapon of Quickness, which reduces the wielder's AC by 1 and always strikes first in the melee round. At level six, the Speed spell creates a weapon with the same abilities as a Weapon of Quickness, but also have the ability to cast a Haste spell upon its wielder once per day.

Strength

The Strength is the second most basic of ForgeMagic spells, second only to Heat. It is used to create the most common forms of magical weapons, those which simply gain a bonus to hit and damage. There are six levels of Strength, creating weapons +1 to +6. Strength spells make it very unlikely that a weapon will ever break (only a 2% chance for a +1 weapon, a 1% chance for a +2 weapon and 0% for anything greater) in any normal circumstances.

It is possible for weapons to be forged with any combination of levels of ForgeMagic spells. Almost all magical weapons are forged with a Strength spell of at least 1st level and with some level of the Light spell. Weapons with only a low level of Speed or Light spell is typically the work of an apprentice Weaponsmith.

Some of the ForgeMagic spells can also be used in the creation of magical armors. Low levels of Heat spells will create armors resistant to cold. Low levels of Cold spells will create armors resistant to fire. Protection spells can be used to grant magical protection in a radius about an armored warrior and to improve the likelihood of surviving certain magical attacks (bonus to saving throws). Most typically, Strength spells will be used to manufacture basic magical armor. Speed spells are occasionally employed to reduce the weight and encumbrance of armor. Light spells are rarely used in armor manufacture (except, possibly, for shields) and neither Sharpness nor Death spells have any armoring applications.

[Runes] Occasionally, Dwarven weaponsmiths will carve runes into their creations to give some indication as to which ForgeMagic spells were used. This is typically true of weapons manufactured for use by Dwarven armies where swift identification of a blade's properties is often necessary. These runic carvings are displayed to the left.