| Ability Requirement: | Intelligence 9+ | |
| Prime Requisite: | Intelligence | |
| Races Allowed: | Human |
The elementalist is a rare breed of specialist wizard who bends the natural forces of the universe to his will. The Vistani recognized this type of magic when they created their mystical tarokka deck, which has one suit for each of the four elements.
Ability Requirements
To become an elementalist, a character must have an Intelligence of at least 9. No other ability requirements are necessary for this class. If an elementalist has an Intelligence score of 16 or better, then he receives a 10% bonus to any experience points that he earns.
Alignment
As with the mage class, any alignment except evil is available to the elementalist player character. For further guidelines, see the section detailing the mage class.
Spells
Since elementalists are a different kind of specialist, not only do they gain some of the advantages and disadvantages normally associated with other types of specialist wizards, but they also have a few of their own special bonuses.
The Elemental Schools
Air, earth, fire, and water are the four elemental schools. Like the eight schools described in the section on specialist wizards, each elemental school has an opposition school that is closed to some specialists. No matter which of these schools a wizard of this type specializes in, he is known as an elementalist.
The following brief descriptions provide an overview of the four elemental schools and their practitioners.
Air: The magic of elemental air deals with all manner of vapors and mists. Those who practice it can turn the air around their enemies toxic or have the winds slow a falling ally so that he lands safely. Air elementalists are noted for their wanderlust and light-spirited personalities. Wizards who specialize in the spells of elemental air cannot cast spells from the school of earth.
Earth: The spells of elemental earth permit a wizard to create barriers that can keep his enemies at bay, cause the very ground to swallow up attackers, and shatter great iron gates with a single blow. Many of the earth elementalist's spells are defensive in nature, an aspect reflected in their often stern, unyielding dispositions. The school of elemental earth opposes that of elemental air, making it impossible for students of the former to use spells from the latter.
Fire: Those who have mastered the elemental spells of fire are deadly enemies. They can call forth fireballs or meteor showers and create rolling masses of incendiary vapors. While their spells may lack the finesse of other elementalists, they serve the needs of these often quick-tempered wizards admirably. Because of the natural enmity between fire and water, those who specialize in the use of spells from this school must forsake those that deal with elemental water.
Water: Most water elementalists are determined and resolute. While they are not actually stubborn, they do often get their way in the end. Their spells affect not only water, but also ice and liquids of other varieties. In order to become a master of elemental water, one must forever abandon the ability to cast spells from the school of elemental fire.
Extra Spells
Elementalists have the ability to memorize and cast an extra spell (of each spell level open to him) each day. Thus, an elementalist with access to 1st- and 2nd-level spells would have two bonus spells available to him: one 1st-level and one 2nd-level spell. These bonus spells must be from the elemental school in which he has specialized and are memorized in the same manner as other spells.
Learning Spells
When an elementalist attempts to learn a spell that relates to his chosen school, his chance to succeed (as determined by his Intelligence) is increased by +25%. When he attempts to learn a spell that relates to another element, he has a bonus of +15%. When an elementalist attempts to learn a spell that has no ties to an elemental school (such as a charm person spell), he suffers a -25% penalty on his chance to do so.
Spell Boosting
Once per day, an elementalist may opt to cast any spell from his chosen school as if he had acquired an additional 1d4 levels of experience. The decision to do this must be made and announced at the moment the spell is cast. This level-boosting effect increases the range, duration, damage, and other aspects of the spell as indicated by its particular description. It does not permit the elementalist to cast a spell of a level that would not normally be available to him.
Creating New Spells
When an elementalist attempts to create a new spell within his chosen school, that spell is treated as if it were one level lower than it actually is. Thus, if the character attempts to create a 3rd-level spell, it is treated as a 2nd-level spell for the purposes of his research.
Magical Items
All elementalists can freely use most of the magical items available to other wizards. They cannot, however, employ those items that duplicate the effects of spells from their opposition fields.
Saving Throw Adjustments
An elementalist's skill with his special magic serves him well when he must defend himself from spells based on his chosen element. Whenever an elementalist attempts a saving throw against a spell from his chosen school, he does so with a +2 bonus. Likewise, his own spells are so powerful that other characters make their saving throws against them with a -2 penalty. When an elementalist casts a spell on another elementalist of the same school, their bonuses cancel each other out.
Controlling Elements
Upon attaining the 15th level of experience, an elementalist can control elemental creatures from his chosen field without concentration. Thus, he may attempt other actions of his own while continuing to direct those of the elemental. For further information, consult the description of the conjure elemental spell. This does not apply to Ravenloft elementals, which remain almost impossible for a wizard of any type to control. Further, the chance that the elemental will turn on the summoner is unchanged.
Taming Elementals
Upon reaching 20th level, if the wizard summons an elemental that is drawn from the same substance that he specialized in, then the chance that the elemental will turn on him is ignored. Thus, a fire elemental has no chance to turn on a 20th-level fire elementalist. This does not apply to Ravenloft elementals.
Power Checks
The skill that an elementalist possesses with spells from his own school enables him to avoid the attention of the dark powers when casting spells for an evil intent. When an elementalist wizard casts a spell from his school that requires him to make a powers check, he reduces the chance of failing that check by half (round down). Thus, if the spell that requires a powers check with a 14% chance of failure, his actual chance of failure is only 7%.
Conversely, however, their lack of skill with spells from other schools makes it more likely that they will draw the attention of the masters of Ravenloft when doing evil. The chances of failure on a powers check made by an elementalist using a spell outside his elemental field is increased by half (round up). Thus, a spell that involves a 14% powers check for a normal mage would carry a 21% chance of failure for the elementalist.
