Snow Miser and Heat Miser

The strange beings known as Snow Miser and Heat Miser are brothers, two of the many children of Mother Nature. Each views the other as his primary antagonist, so that a being bonded with one cannot be bonded with the other – indeed, their patrons will instruct them to actively work against those who bond with their rival sibling! The only thing potent enough to make the Miser Brothers work together is the chance to foil another of their siblings’ plots, such as the North Wind.

Snow Miser dwells in an arctic land, while Heat Miser lives in an active volcano. Somehow, their lands share a common border. They have divided the world between them, and although their agents make frequent forays into the territories of their opposite patrons, the Miser Brothers usually disavow active knowledge of these raids. Heat Miser seeks to frighten mortals with tales of an unending Fimbulwinter, while Snow Miser’s agents warn of global warming. In preindustrial campaign milieus, a new ice age may be a viable threat, but if the campaign takes place in a post-industrial world, it eventually becomes clear that Heat Miser is winning, and Snow Miser’s warnings about global warming are not just hot air.

In order to bond with Snow Miser, a postulant must travel to a cold location, either due to climate or season. In order to bond with Heat Miser, a postulant must travel similarly to a hot environment, such as a desert, volcano, or steaming jungle. Those bonded to Heat Miser may not cast spells creating or manipulating cold without gaining the ire of their patron. Likewise, Snow Miser forbids his devotees from magic creating or manipulating heat or flames.

Invoke Patron check results
1	Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (3 or less) corruption + patron taint; (4-5) corruption; (6+) patron taint.
2-11	Failure. Unlike other spells, invoke patron may not be lost for the day. Depending on the results of patron bond, the wizard may still be able to cast it.
12-13	It becomes noticeably colder or hotter in the immediate vicinity of the caster as their patron’s attention is drawn to them. This change in temperature may be harnessed by the caster, granting a +4 bonus to a spell check made in the next Caster Level rounds.
14-17	A cloak of ice or flames surrounds the caster, providing a +4 bonus to AC for 1d5 rounds. At the end of this period, the bonus is reduced by 1 as the cloak dissipates, until it is gone when the bonus reaches +0.
18-19	All enemies within 100’ must succeed in a Will save vs. spell result or begin to sing about how great the caster’s patron is. This song-and-dance number lasts 1d5+CL rounds. An enemy targeted with a spell or attack during this period (successfully or not) is immediately freed from the enchantment. Otherwise, enemies take no move or other action except singing and dancing.
20-23	The caster chooses 1d3+CL targets within 500’. These take 3d6 damage due to either cold or fire (depending upon the patron). A Fort save vs. the spell check result is allowed to reduce damage by half.
24-27	The caster is shrouded in ice or heat, which increases the caster’s AC by 1d4+CL. Each round, the caster may send either a bolt of ice or fire (depending upon their patron) to a range of 500’ (5d6 damage, Reflex DC 15 for half), but doing so reduces the AC bonus by 1. The AC bonus lasts until expended or 1d5 hours have passed. Once the AC bonus is gone, the caster can no longer spend it on attacks.
28-29	A single Miser Imp is sent to assist the caster in whatever manner the caster commands. The Miser Imp remains until reduced to 0 hp or until the next dawn. Miser Imps are half-sized versions of Heat or Snow Miser which act as aides to their master. They can turn small non-magical objects into snow or melt them by touch (if attended, the holder gains a DC 15 Reflex save to prevent this). Objects up to the size of a shield or two-handed sword may be affected, as determined by the judge. When reduced to 0 hp, Miser Imps explode in cold or heat, doing 1d6 damage to any creature within 5’ (no save). When not otherwise commanded, Miser Imps spend their time dancing and singing the praises of their patron.   Miser Imp: Init +2; Atk touch +2 melee (1d6 cold or heat); AC 12; HD 3d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP transform/melt objects, death throes; SV Fort +4; Ref +5; Will +7; AL N.
30-31	The temperature within 500’ of the caster immediately raises/lowers by 1d4 x 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, enemies of the caster within this range are chilled/heated even more, taking 1d8+CL damage each round they remain within this area (no save). The damage remains in effect for 1d5+CL turns, but does not move with the caster. The change in ambient temperature remains until natural (or supernatural) conditions cause it to change (as determined by the judge).
32+	For the next 1d6+CL hours, any non-magical weapon striking the caster melts or turns to snow (no save), doing only half damage. Further, the caster is charged with heat or cold, and all their physical or magical attacks do an additional 1d14 damage during this period as this power is conducted by, or embodied within, them.

 

Spellburn

The Miser brothers can lend aid to their supplicants when requested. If a supplicant is casting a spell related to their patron (such as control ice for Snow Miser or fireball for Heat Miser), they gain an additional +2 bonus to the spell check when performing spellburn. When a caster utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4 and consult the table below or build off suggestions to create an event specific to your campaign.

Roll	Spellburn Result
1	Casting the spell causes uncontrolled shivering or sweating, which manifests as Strength, Agility, or Stamina loss. The shivering or sweating subsides as this damage is healed.
2	As part of the casting, the caster must perform an elaborate song-and-dance routine praising their patron. This temporarily drains part of the caster’s soul, manifesting as Strength, Stamina, or Agility loss until it is recovered.
3	Conflict with the other Miser Brother prevents the patron from devoting full energy to the caster. Regardless of the amount of spellburn, the caster only receives the benefit of 1d4 points, and any remaining amount is lost.
4	In a moment of magnanimity, the patron offers to double the bonus from the caster’s spellburn, if the caster will agree to undertake a quest sabotaging some scheme of the other Miser Brother’s. The nature of this task is left to the judge to detail, but if not completed in a reasonable time (as determined by the judge), the patron removes all access to spells save those used in direct support of the quest.