Prismatic Order

Leaders

The Prism Council of Elteare is the highest body in the order and consists of the highest ranking Prismatic Mage of each sub-order (color).

Structure and Headquarters

Many large cities and towns have a branch of the Prismatic Order somewhere within the city walls. Unlike the branches of the Arcanum, most are purposefully flamboyant and note-worthy. Each branch is governed democratically by the mages who wish to assemble when a decision needs to be made. Higher-level spellcasters outrank lower-level spellcasters, and a meeting of new members of the Order often devolves into a “You show me yours,…” contest to see who can cast spells of the highest rankings. If a vote needs to be taken, each caster’s vote is rated based on their magical ability.   Note: The special abilities of warlocks and bards are considered based on their equivalence to spellcasting. In general the Order is very good at determining the power (level) an individual has achieved.

Resources

Members of the Prismatic Order may request access to the guild's mundane libraries and use of the magical laboratories of the guild. They may request to copy a spell from the guild's vast collection of spellbooks, but must gain at least one point of Prestige before requesting another spell.   In cities and towns with a guildhall, members may request lodging. An apprentice may get little more than a cot in the dormitory, while higher-ranking members may request a suite of rooms.    

Renown

As members gain renown, their standing in the guild increases, and they gain access to more resources. Members gain renown by completing tasks assigned by the guild. Renown is also gained by letting the guild copy previously unknown spells or studying unusual or rare magic items.    

Apprentice (1 Prestige)

Those petitioning for entry into the Prismatic Order who show spellcasting ability then become apprentices. Apprentices wear brown robes. They are mentored by all Robed Magi, often resulting in confusing or conflicting messages and expected to follow any mage’s orders and directions. They may also request the casting of a spell or the use of a special ability by another member of the order.    

Adept (3 Prestige)

An apprentice who earns 3 renown may request to be Robed and gains the rank of Adept. They must choose a specialty order to join, and display the ability to cast spells (or display spell-like or supernatural special abilities). Adepts may request a room in the guildhall or hospitality from another member of the Order.   Adepts are taught Gendeau. Gendeau is the local language of Elteare and Sarten. Although Gendeau is not commonly used throughout the Empire, it is still the official language of Elteare.    

Robed Mage (10 Prestige)

Each branch of the Prismatic Order has their own initiation rituals for gaining the rank of mage. A Mage’s robes are embroidered, trimmed or otherwise decorated with the rainbow symbol of the order. Mages may request the sigil sequence for a guildhall or request to be teleported to another guildhall. The member may not request either service again until they gain at least one point of Prestige. Request to copy a formula for the creation of a common or uncommon magical item. The member may not request a new formula until they gain at least one point of Prestige. Any Mage who shares or sells a requested formula loses access to this resource.   Robed Mages gains the Spell Specialization Ability (see below)  

Spell Specialization

A Mage of the Prismatic Order has honed his craft to deadly results. The Mage chooses one spell from his spell list (or special abilities). Whenever he casts that spell, the effects are as if he used a spell-slot one level higher than the spell-slot used. The Mage must use a spell-slot of at least the spell level to cast the spell. A Mage may retrain his Spell Specialization when gaining levels.   Example: Tinvalian specialized in Fireball. When he casts Fireball using a 4th level spell-slot, the Fireball goes off as if he had used a 5th level slot.    

Robed Master (25 Prestige)

A Mage who has earned 25 renown may petition to become a Master. The robes of a Master are not differentiated from the robes of a mage, but most who attain the rank are known in all of the branches of the order they frequent.   Masters have access to the following resources: Request to copy a formula for the creation of a rare magical item. The member may not request a new formula (including common or uncommon formulas) until they gain at least one point of renown. Any Master who shares or sells a requested formula loses access to this resource. Masters of the Prismatic Order have honed their craft to deadly effect. Masters gain the Enhance Spell ability below.  

Enhance Spell

Robed Masters are able to increase the potency of their spells. A Robed Master can enhance a spell they have cast in one of the following ways.

• Add two dice to the damage dice of the spell

• Increase the DC of the spell by 2

1. For an active duration spell, extend the duration by 1d4 rounds. When extending a concentration spell, the Master loses control of the spell for those additional rounds. For example: a conjured creature would follow the last command given, but no new commands could be given. An illusion would maintain the same image, but wouldn't be moveable or changeable as when concentrating.

  The Robed Master cannot use this ability again until they finish a short or long rest.    

Prismatic Master (50 Prestige)

The leaders of the order, only a handful of Masters attain the rank of Prismatic. Prismatics don robes which contain all colors of the orders, though the color of their own particular order generally dominates. Prismatics each have a suite of offices in the Prism Council building in Elteare, though most live outside the guildhall in one of the many towers nearby. Each is assigned a Mage of some ability who act as manservant, scribe and courier for the Prismatic. Prismatics lead the Prism Council and often have significant sway over politics in Elteare.     Prismatics have access to the following resources: Assigned a Mage who starts out at half the Prismatic's own level. The Mage is considered a retainer of the Prismatic and may be assigned duties as needed, though the Mage's first loyalties are to the Order, not the Prismatic; Access to formulas for very rare magical items, following the same rules as above. The Prismatic often serves as a branch's voice on the Prism Council. As such, the Prismatic has considerable authority in the local branch and wields the Executive Powers of the Prismatic Order.

The Gendeu of Middle Arvanor have never been ones for subtlety. Boisterous, some say flamboyant, they embrace live and live to the fullest. Its small wonder that the Arcanum, with its focus on patient study and research, never caught on in these lands. Magic was also considered an art form in Elteare, and it is said that magic flows in the blood of the Gendeau. Unlike other city-states, Tearans embrace sorcery as much as wizardry. When Elteare joined the empire, and the wizards of the Arcanum came to "train the wilders" they found a culture which had as much understanding of magic as themselves. Further efforts to train these people in proper wizardry had the opposite effect. Soon, sorcerers, bards, warlocks and "free" wizards began to gather and pull together to resist the efforts of the Arcanum. The conflict reached a head with the establishment of the Prismatic Order. In true Gendeau style, on Avandra's Turning in the year 1049, almost two years after the induction of Elteare into the Empire, the wizards of the Arcanum awoke to hundreds of mages wearing the various colors of the Prismatic Orders. When they tried to round up these undocumented mages, the wizards of the Arcanum were driven out of Elteare, forcibly. Because there were no laws favoring the Arcanum, and no wizards were harmed, there was nothing the Arvanoran governor could do to suppress the "revolt". The Arcanum wizards went back to the other city-states, and the Prismatic Order became entrenched in the city.