The Incanterium
They believed that magic is the root of all power. They lived in the Tower Sorcerous in Sigil and they controlled a good chunk of Sigil and manipulated other factions. One day, the tower and the faction vanished.
The survivors had immersed themselves in magic and lost their bodies and souls. They needed to consume arcane energy to survive and they can only heal wounds by absorbing magic. They are paranoid and bitter and they have silver eyes.
From time to time, one of the members of this ancient sect show up, still pursuing his unattainable goal of mastering all the magic of the multiverse. Without exception, they’re self centered, ambitious cutters of tremendous magical power. They’re called incantifers now. An incantifer looks human enough on the outside, but just like a tanner who’ll never be able to get the smell of his work off his skin, an incantifer reeks of magic. It’s changed and twisted him on the inside. Incantifers usually appear extremely old and frail; they’ve used life-extending magics to defeat death, but youth for its own sake doesn’t interest them. After all, it’s a simple trick to appear yo necessary. There are two giveaways for an incantifier: first, his or her eyes’re orbs of blank, shining silver; secondly, the magical strength that courses through them provides uncanny grace and agility despite their decrepit appearance.
Should a PC wish to become an incantifer, he’d have to persuade an incantifer to perform the transformation on him. The transformation requires dozens of dangerous spells and rituals that could take a cutter years to complete. For example, one of the steps might be to capture the flame of a balm on the Abyss, another one might be to consume an item enchanted by a power whose portfolio includes magic, and so on.
The hp of incantifiers increases as usual until the character hits level 9, after level 9 the incanters Hit-Die changes to 1d4 for future level ups. After level 14 the character doesn't gain any more hit die on a level up, only increasing his hit points by his constitution modifier.
The Strength Score and Dexterity Score of an incantifier increases to 18. An incantifier also gains the ability to absorb spells. They gain the Magic Resistance trait (advantage on saving throws against spells and take half damage from spells) and when a spell cast gainst them fails they absorb that spell, regaining 1d4 hit points for each level of the spell. The incantifier can alternatively recover a spell slot of the same level instead of recovering hit points. If the spell is an aoe effect such as Fireball, they won't absorb the spell though they won't take any damage on a successful save, instead regaining hitpoints equal to the spells level. If a spell usually doesn't require a saving throw, such as scorching ray, then the incantifier still gets to roll a save against the DC of the caster if they are hit, the abilitiy being determined by the DM, though they do not roll that save with advantage but instead normally.
The only spell an incantifier can't absorb is the Antimagic Field or similar spells.
They can also absorb spells that are affecting them currently by succeeding the spells save or by making a intelligence check once per turn (DC 10 + spell level), requiring no action, if the spell doesn't allow repeat saves (such as hypnotic pattern), spells cast by themselves they can absorb at-will. They can also partially absorb magic items. They can absorb the magic of scrolls, potions that carry a spell, and charges from wands or staves, these charges count as 1 spell level, so if they absorb three charges at once they can choose to recover either a 3rd level spell slot or 3d4 hit points. The magic of items such as a +1 Weapon can be absorbed but the amount of hp or spell slots recovered is determined by the DM. A magic item held or worn by an other creature cannot be absorbet if they are unwilling, the incantifier can only absorb things they are holding themselves.
Incantifiers also lose the ability to be healed by normal means (this includes short and long rests), they can only be healed by absorbing spells.
Sect History
Centuries ago, a faction called the Incanterium schemed and maneuvered in the kriegstanz of Sigil‘s factions. They were known as the Magicians or the Wanters; it’s said they believed that the secret to everything was wizardly magic. Magic’s powerful, the Incanterium line went: so powerful that archmages change the the rules of the worlds they deal with, so powerful that the gods themselves fear it. Any cutter with determination and savvy can make him-self the high-up by learning all there is to know about magic. It's done before, after all. The Magicians spent their time and effort collecting every magical item, every scrap of magical lore they could lay their hands on. They collected it all in Sigil’s Tower Sorcerous, a dark fortress of knowledge and ambition. The other factions’d try to use the magicians by offering them magic in return for their help, or they'd scheme to steal a little of the Incanterium’s knowledge back. In fact, there came a time when the Magicians were calling the tune, and the other factions were beginning to learn how to dance. Then something happened. One day the folk of Sigil found that the Tower Sorcerous no longer stood over the skyline of the Clerk‘s Ward. Rumors spread that the Lady had put ’em all in the Mazes, and the better Sigil was for it. Some cutters believed that maybe the Magicians had challenged the Lady and failed. Others thought that each of the other factions’d found a way to put the Incanterium in the dead-book. It didn’t matter; in time, the Incanterium was forgotten. But they’re not as lost as everyone thinks.From time to time, one of the members of this ancient sect show up, still pursuing his unattainable goal of mastering all the magic of the multiverse. Without exception, they’re self centered, ambitious cutters of tremendous magical power. They’re called incantifers now. An incantifer looks human enough on the outside, but just like a tanner who’ll never be able to get the smell of his work off his skin, an incantifer reeks of magic. It’s changed and twisted him on the inside. Incantifers usually appear extremely old and frail; they’ve used life-extending magics to defeat death, but youth for its own sake doesn’t interest them. After all, it’s a simple trick to appear yo necessary. There are two giveaways for an incantifier: first, his or her eyes’re orbs of blank, shining silver; secondly, the magical strength that courses through them provides uncanny grace and agility despite their decrepit appearance.
Habitat/Society
The original survivors of the Incanterium are very rare creatures; only a handful still walk the planes. Their apprentices and servants are more common. Every so often, an incantifer will consent to teach a talented mage the secrets of his or her abilities and cast a series of transformation spells that create a new incantifer. These younglings are the lowest-level incantifers, usually ranging from 9th to 14th level. Incantifers are exceedingly paranoid about their magical caches and never leave them unguarded. In fact, they carry as much of their stashes with them as they can. An incantifer on the move can be a humorous sight, with dozens of pouches, satchels, and packs hanging from his garments. (Important piece of advice, berk: Don’t laugh.) Most incantifers’ve forgotten how to deal with people and view any cutter they meet as a potential source of magic. If a body runs across one in a tavern, he’ll likely find the incantifer to be brusque, inconsiderate, and condescending. Incantifers don’t always try to take what they want by force, but few of ’em have any patience for extended haggling or insults. Some interesting peels or cross-trades’ve got incantifers at the bottom of them. It’s not too unusual for a sharp blood to be approached by an incantifer with a job offer. These jobs can be pretty dangerous, since they typically involve separating some rare and unusual piece of magic from its rightful owner, but incantifers can pay quite well.Ecology
The transformations that make a mage in& an incantifer change his life processes. Breathing, eating, sleeping - none of these things matter to incantifers anymore. The only thing they live for is the collection of magic. An incantifer must absorb spell levels equal to his own experience level every month, or he dies. Draining a magical item provides 1 spell level per charge of the device. For example, a 16th-level incantifer has to consume 16 spell levels of magic within one month’s time or die, unable to be resurrected. Incantifers trapped in magic-dead areas have been known to starve.Faction Membership
While the incantifers were once a united faction, they've largely gone their own way. Two incantifers rarely have a friendly word for each other, and are likely to view each other as rivals and threats. Therefore the sect’s pretty much died out.Should a PC wish to become an incantifer, he’d have to persuade an incantifer to perform the transformation on him. The transformation requires dozens of dangerous spells and rituals that could take a cutter years to complete. For example, one of the steps might be to capture the flame of a balm on the Abyss, another one might be to consume an item enchanted by a power whose portfolio includes magic, and so on.
Faction Philosophy
Wizardly magic is the be-all and end-all of existence. Everything in the multiverse can be controlled by magic, and anyone who can do that is the high-up.Principal Plane of Influence
One’s as good as another, once a body knows how the magic works.Allies and Enemies
Incantifers are their own worst enemies, since each one’s out to make himself the high-up by gathering all the magical knowledge there is on every plane of existence. They have no allies in any faction.Eligibility
Any Wizard of any alignment. (Good mages, however, should be aware that they must be willing to change to neutral or evil; see “Restrictions.”) They also aren't allowed to have levels in any other class unless they already have 20 level in Wizard.Benefits
The altered physiology of an incantifer frees him of the need to breathe, eat or sleep and makes him immune to nonmagical extremes of temperature or environment. They also do not age.The hp of incantifiers increases as usual until the character hits level 9, after level 9 the incanters Hit-Die changes to 1d4 for future level ups. After level 14 the character doesn't gain any more hit die on a level up, only increasing his hit points by his constitution modifier.
The Strength Score and Dexterity Score of an incantifier increases to 18. An incantifier also gains the ability to absorb spells. They gain the Magic Resistance trait (advantage on saving throws against spells and take half damage from spells) and when a spell cast gainst them fails they absorb that spell, regaining 1d4 hit points for each level of the spell. The incantifier can alternatively recover a spell slot of the same level instead of recovering hit points. If the spell is an aoe effect such as Fireball, they won't absorb the spell though they won't take any damage on a successful save, instead regaining hitpoints equal to the spells level. If a spell usually doesn't require a saving throw, such as scorching ray, then the incantifier still gets to roll a save against the DC of the caster if they are hit, the abilitiy being determined by the DM, though they do not roll that save with advantage but instead normally.
The only spell an incantifier can't absorb is the Antimagic Field or similar spells.
They can also absorb spells that are affecting them currently by succeeding the spells save or by making a intelligence check once per turn (DC 10 + spell level), requiring no action, if the spell doesn't allow repeat saves (such as hypnotic pattern), spells cast by themselves they can absorb at-will. They can also partially absorb magic items. They can absorb the magic of scrolls, potions that carry a spell, and charges from wands or staves, these charges count as 1 spell level, so if they absorb three charges at once they can choose to recover either a 3rd level spell slot or 3d4 hit points. The magic of items such as a +1 Weapon can be absorbed but the amount of hp or spell slots recovered is determined by the DM. A magic item held or worn by an other creature cannot be absorbet if they are unwilling, the incantifier can only absorb things they are holding themselves.
Restrictions
Alignment has to be neutral or evil, since it’s not a good act to turn one’s back on humanity and become a devourer of other people’s magic.Incantifiers also lose the ability to be healed by normal means (this includes short and long rests), they can only be healed by absorbing spells.
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