There is power in the earth. Stark mountains give strength and a potential for chaos. Ancient forests are infused with the power of nature. Peaceful planes provide the power of healing and defence. Islands contain the secret of illusions and the power to deceive minds. None know this better than land mages, who channel that power into magic spells. Land mages bind creatures to them, which they summon to fight for them, staying for an (in theory) indefinite time.

Adventures: Only through travelling can land mages gain new allies and more power, discover new lands and creatures. A land mage has to soul bind creatures, he wants to summon, the method of doing so depending on his alignment (and that of the creature in question). New spells can only be found in hidden treasure hoards, or by trading with other land mages. Land mages also like pitting themselves (and "their" creatures) against the dangers of the world to learn more about either.

Characteristics: The magic of land mages is capricious and complex, their outlook heavily depending on their primary colour. It can be as destructive as that of a combat-oriented sorcerer, focus on the wild like that of a druid, rely on tricks and illusions, be reckless and self-destructive, or pure and curative. More powerful land mages are able to use several colours of magic, widening their focus, as their power increases. White mages are most easily compared to clerics, blue mages are like illusionists, green mages like druids, red and black mages are similar to combat-oriented arcane spellcasters. These distinctions fade, as the land mage advances in level and becomes able to use more and more colours of magic.

Alignment: Land mages do not tend to any specific alignment, not even neutral. All types can be found among them. Land mages starting with black mana are a bit more likely to be evil, while those starting with white mana are more likely to be good, but even that is not a save bet.

Religion: Land mages do not make good supplicants for any religion. They know their power comes from the very earth itself, not a god with some distant seat in another plane, which they are able to reach using their plane shift ability. If land mages chose patron deities, Boccob, god of magic is the most likely choice, but that may chance with colour. The following examples are based on the characteristics of the five colours of magic, but any land mage may have any alignment and chose any good as patron. The presented choices are just a bit more likely. White land mages chose Hieroneous, god of valor, or St. Cuthbert, good of retribution. Blue land mages chose Boccob, or Olidammara, god of thieves. Green land mages may worship any god of nature, such as Ehlonna or Obad-Hai, or just nature itself like druids. Red land mages worship Kord, god of strength, or Erythnul, god of slaughter. Black mages chose Wee Jas, goddess of death and magic or Vecna, god of secrets.

Background: Like sorcerers, land mages may develop their talent naturally, accidentally binding their first lands during puberty. Those who survive the mana burn from drawing mana, or are able to release it in some way (usually in an uncontrolled burst of energy) may sooner or later learn their first spells. Land mages staring out this way (particularly if the first mana they tap into is black or red) are often cast out of their homes.

Land magic can be taught to the young (and even the not so young), much like wizardry. A few mighty empires may have academies, or collages, where land magic is taught as one of the mystic disciplines. These places often have secure areas to release uncontrolled burst or deal with creatures running out of control. More typical is, of course, the traditional system of apprenticeship to a master of the art. Most land mages have a very hands-on attitude to magic, as opposed to bookish wizards, taking their pupils on their journeys. Some masters may forget the apprentice in a dangers situation, though.

Races: All races from the Player's Handbook can become land mages. Dwarves are actually more likely to use this kind of magic than elves, who prefer to rely on wizardry, which they claim to have invented, sometimes even calling land magic "primitive." Land mages are more likely to come from "barbarian" cultures, which revere nature spirits, or have another close connection to the land, than from high civilisations, which often only teach highly formalized magic (wizardry).

Other Classes: Like all arcane spellcasters, land mages like the protection of barbarians, fighters, monks and rangers, but they are less reliant on it than sorcerers or wizards (because land mages can summon creatures to protect them). Their fellings towards other spellcasters and psionic characters depend more on individual personality than being land mages.

Abilities: The ability on which the power of a land mages spell depend are determined by her choice of primary colour. (See the table below.) All land mages have good use for high constitution and dexterity, as they increase their hit points and armour class.

Role: The role of a land mage depends on their primary choice of colour. White or green mages can assume roles similar to clerics and druids, serving as primary healers and providing offensive support using their creatures. Black or red mages are more like arcane spellcasters, providing mostly offensive power. Blue mages are good at countering enemy magic (and psionics) and misguiding the party's opponents using their illusions and other mind-affecting powers. The role of higher-level land mages depends solely on their choice of spells and allies.

Class Skills

The land mage's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at 1st level: (2 + intelligence modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + intelligence modifier.

The Land Mage

Class Features

All the following are the class features of the land mage.

Hit Dice: d4

Weapon And Armour Proficiency: Land Mages are proficient with simple weapons, light armour and shields (except tower shields).

Spells: Land mages cast spells by tapping into the power of their lands and channelling it into magic. Land mage spells are considered arcane for purposes of detection, countering and other areas, where such distinctions matter. Land mages cast spells by concentrating on them, not requiring any verbal or somatic component. Armour does not interfere with the spellcasting of land mages, for it is a purely mental act. Casting a spell requires intense concentration. Doing so is a standard action drawing attacks of opportunity. Land mages face a number of unique advantages and restrictions when using their magic, as described below.

Lands: A land mage can only bind a limited number of lands to provide mana for their spells. Every land untaps (that is it can be uses again to draw mana) after one hour. A land has to be connected to the land mage using a special ritual. (See the "land bind" class feature below.) A single land provides enough mana to power a simple (1st-level) spell. Land mages cannot cast 0-level spells, because even a single land provides more power than necessary to do so.

Drawing mana is a free action, if done independently. Otherwise it is considered part of the same action as casting the spell. Drawn mana not immediately used remains stored in the land mage's system. When the power is not used at the beginning of the land mage's next turn, he suffers 2d6 points of damage from mana burn. This damage has no type and cannot be prevented or redirected. (It can be healed normally, if the land mage survives, of course.) Drawing mana from another source (such as a magic items or a creature with the ability to provide mana) is also a free action subject to the same limits as drawing mana from lands.

Land mages can use as much mana as half their level (round up) to power their spells, or activate abilities that cost mana. A land mage of 1st and 2nd level can use only a single mana for a spell or ability. A land mage of 3rd and 4th level may use two mana, until a 20th level mana can power a single spell or ability with up to 10 mana.

Deck: The deck is the total number of spells the land mage knows. All those spells are contained within the mind of a land mage, but they can only keep a limited number of those spells in mind (see below). A land mage can only cast each spell in the deck once, but the deck may contain each spell up to four times, unless the DM restricts their use.

Land mages can learn spells imprinted into items by other land mages with a successful Spellcraft check DC 10 + the level of the spell. A land mage may also learn spells from arcane magical writings, inscribed either with the imprint spell class ability, or by arcane spellcasters. The DC of the Spellcraft check to do so increases to 20. If a land mage wants to duplicate a spell in her deck, she can of course just imprint the spell and learn it from her own item. A land mage cannot learn (or cast) a spell of a higher level than the class table indicates.

If the deck has already reached the maximum size of spells allowed for that class level, the land mage has to cast a spell out of the current deck to learn the new one. A land mage has to succeed at a DC 15 Spellcraft check to remove a spell from his deck. The new spell is considered discarded (see below) and cannot be cast, until the land mage had eight hours of rest. Land mages cannot cast spells from other sources than their decks, such as arcane or divine spell scrolls.

If a land mage duplicates a creature... spell, each instance of this spell summons the same creature. Several instance of a creature... spell in the hand does not allow a land mage to create copies of that creature, unless several similar creatures have actually been soul bound.

Hand: A land mage can only keep a small number of spells from their deck in mind at the same time. Only the spells in the land mage's hand can be cast. Whenever a spell leaves the mind of a land mage, a new one from the deck is randomly determined to replace it. A spell that goes into the hand from deck is removed from the deck for the rest of the day. All spells cast from the hand are considered to be discarded. They reenter the deck when the land mage rests for eight hours.

There are two ways of determining the next spell entering the hand. The first is assigning a number to each spell (probably ordering them alphabetically, but that is not a requirement) and rolling a dice with at least as many sides as the list as entries. The spell at the number rolled enters the hand. If the number rolled is higher than the list, or the entry is already empty, reroll. At some point it will become necessary to change from a d20 to a d%. It is a lot easier to divide the number rolled (round normally, minimum 1) than rerolling each time the number is higher than the number of spells in the deck.

The other method is probably easier, but requires the player to have the Magic: the Gathering cards representing the spells of the land mage's deck. The player simply shuffles the deck then and draws the cards. Unlike in a normal Magic game, the hand cards are displayed openly. All used spells are put into a discard pile ("Graveyard") from play (or the hand). Lands are considered to be always available and are not part of the deck.

Other: All spells used on in a day, newly learned spells and dismissed creatures (no matter if by death or the land mage's will) are no longer available for the day. The land mage has to rest at least eight hours to restore those spells into the deck. A land mage may do so only once in twentyfour hours.

Land Bind (Su): Starting with first level, a land mage is able to bind a land to her, enabling her to draw mana from this land. (See "The Colours of Magic" below for more information what kind of mana various types of land provide. The ritual to bind a land for the first time takes one hour. Essentially the first part of the ritual tests, if the land is still available to be bound. A land mage receives this information after one minute. If the land has been bound to another land mage within the last 24 hours, the ritual fails at this point and the land mage knows why it failed. The rest of the ritual attunes the land and the mage to each other.

Certain spells and effects can sever the tie between a land mage and her lands. If she carries a pebble, crumb of dirt or a pinch of sand of that land with her, the bond can be restored as a full round action. Some land mages, who want to take their magic in a new direction may chose to use spells severing their tie to lands on themselves, allowing them to bind other lands. A land mage may voluntarily relinquish control of a land to another land mage. This cannot be forced by mind-affecting effects and requires the land mage to give the pebble, crumb of dirt or pinch of sand to the other mage physically.

Imprint Spell (Su): When reaching 2nd level, a land mage becomes able to imprint any spell in their hand on any item or scribe it on a scroll. The item must be worth 10GP per spell level, if made from precious metal, or 50GP per spell, if it is a gem. If a land mage tries to imprint a spell on an item not able to carry it, the item crumbles to dust, ruined by the power of the magic.

Soul Bind (Su): A land mage of 3rd level or higher may bind creatures to him. Doing so requires convincing them to work for the land mage, including being summoned to wherever the land mage currently is. Creatures can be honestly convinced, tricked or forced into submission, depending on the alignment of the land mage (and the creature in question). Any bound creature's level or hit dice has to be at least two less than the level of the land mage. If the DM allows the land mage to take the leadership feat, the land mage may bind creatures of level or hit dice equal to her class level plus her charisma bonus.

Land mages may only bind a limited number of creatures. A land mage may only bind as many as his class level - 2 plus his charisma modifier number of creatures. The DM may allow certain groups of creatures to be bound and summoned as a single creature. Once the creature agrees to be bound, the binding is automatic. The land mage feels the success of the soul binding. The bound being appears in the land mage's deck (if it has free spaces) as a creature... spell. Otherwise, the spell can be automatically imprinted, if the land mage currently owns an item able to store the spell.

Releasing Creatures: A land mage may permanently release a creature currently in the discard pile by succeeding at a DC 15 Spellcraft check. Returning the creature into the deck causes the bond to be renewed automatically. A soul bound creature cannot kill the land mage, to which they are bound (unless the rules for the creature specifically say so, e.g. a Lord Of The Pit). Some creatures may attack the land mage under special conditions (see below), rendering their "master" helpless.

Plane Shift (Sp): Starting with 5th level, land mages gain the spell-like ability to plane shift once per day, as the spell. Land mages may only use this ability on themselves (as though the spell had a "Target: You" entry). Every five levels thereafter, a land mage may use the ability once more per day. At twentieth level, a land mage has mastered this ability so far, that she arrives exactly where intended (unless the target area is blocked).

Colours Of Magic

There are five colours of magic for a land mage: black, blue, green, red and white. While land mages learn to use more and more colours of magic, until they are able to use all five colours at 17th level, the colour chosen at 1st level (or any other point of character creation) has a serious impact on a land mage's view of her art and is called a land mage's primary colour. Some primary colours come with alignment restrictions.

Black magic draws its mana from broken wastelands, deserts, fetid swamps and similar lands (mostly) hostile to normal life. Black magic is reckless, sinister and often relies on fiends and undead as creatures to summon. There are, of course, also animals and magical beasts, who live in such environments. Land mages using black as their primary colour are known to be brutal against themselves and their creatures. Beings bound by black mana know this. Land mages choosing black as their primary colour cannot be lawful good in alignment.

Blue magic draws its power from the sea, but no-one has found a way to directly bind the ever flowing water of the oceans to them. Instead blue land mages draw their power from small islands and coastal areas, including beaches. Blue magic includes illusions, trickery and the mastery of air and water elements. Many blue creatures are aquatic. It may actually be problematic summoning them, when there is no water nearby. Air creatures, on the other hand, can be summoned almost everywhere. Blue land mages tend towards neutral alignments.

Green magic draws its power from areas of untamed wilderness, such as deep forests, natural swamps and overgrown plains. Green magic represents the power of nature, its soothing capacity of tranquil peace as well as the merciless rage of nature. Green mages are similar to druids in their outlook (see the PHB pg. 33f). Land mages choosing green as their primary colour have to chose a druid alignment on character creation (neutral good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral of neutral evil).

Red magic draws its mana from the strength of mountains. Lands bound by red land mages have to be of bare rock. Red magic represents the powers of earth, fire and chaos. Red mages are often violent and like to use spectacular spells displaying their power. More so than any other colour of magic, red magic can be unpredictable. Only black magic hurts its wielder more easily than red magic. Red mages tend towards chaotic alignment.

White magic draws its mana from tilled earth, peaceful plains and similar areas of tamed and (relatively) flat land. White magic represents the power of healing, peace and justice, but in the hands of its more sinister wielders it can also be an instrument of vengeance and destruction. White mages often hail from civilised lands, giving them the perspective of one grown up in big cities and often peaceful areas. Land mages chosing white as their primary colour cannot be chaotic evil.

Land Mage Creatures

Land mages cast spells like other mystics, but their major difference is their ability to bind and summon creatures. Their summoning ability works quite different from the summon... spells in the PHB. Land mages may bind and summon creatures from the same plane (and even the same world). The effect of a creature... spell is instantaneous. Creatures summoned by a land mage cannot be dispelled, warded out by magic circles, or sent home with powers such as holy world, unless the bound creature is already of a type, which is subject to such spells. The art of dealing with other beings and making them agree to be soul bound is something essential for a land mage.

When a land mage summons a creature, it disappears from the place it is at the time the creature... spell is cast. It appears in the area designated by the land mage during the same standard action. The summoned creature is considered flat-footed until the beginning of the land mage's next turn, unless it has the "haste" ability. Any creature summoned by the land mage acts during the same turn as the land mage, until it takes an action changing its initiative. When the creature goes into another encounter, roll initiative for it normally. The land mage player makes all decisions for the summoned creature (unless the DM says otherwise).

Being summoned by a land mage changes a creature. The creature gains fast healing (the number of hit points equal to the toughness its Magic: the Gathering card representation has). If the creature already had fast healing, it retains that ability, or gains the new one, whichever is better. When the creature is killed, it dissolves instead and returns to its original location. If that location is hostile, the creature is again considered to be flat-footed, until it takes its first action. The spell used to summon it moves to the discard pile.

The land mage may also dismiss a creature at any time as an immediate action (which counts as using a quickened spell in that round). This also returns the creature to the location from which it was summoned. A creature that dies while "at home," cannot be summoned, unless the land mage has a way to return it from the dead. Intelligent creatures may take a dim view of being returned home by being "killed" while summoned a lot. While such a creature does realise, a land mage can only sent two creatures home in a round, most will expect to be dismissed before they are killed.

When a creature gets killed at least half of the time, it may turn against the land mage to which it is bound and demand to be released from service. This rate may increase or decrease with the way a creature is bound and, of course, with the creature itself. A mindless creature (such as some undead and constructs) is unable to turn against its master at all, while proud and / or highly intelligent creatures are more likely to do so. As long as the creature is summoned through a creature... spell, it cannot kill the land mage. It may, however, paralyse or disable (reduce to exactly 0 hit points) the land mage. This restriction is not true, if it meets the land mage while not summoned.

Some creatures have the tendency to endanger the land mage anyway, when some condition (upkeep) is not met. Unless they always harm their summoner, they cannot kill their master either, as long as the conditions are met.

Binding Creatures

Unless they find a lot of "creature" spells in treasure hoards or the bodies of dead enemies, a land mage will have to bind creatures to be summoned personally. Then, of course, someone has to bind a creature to be summoned with a "creature..." spell at some point. Most creatures will also grow old and die sooner or later, making the spell once summoning them useless.

Animals: (and other creatures with Int –, 1 or 2) can be bound by using Wild Empathy (which land mages may learn as a feat), but they may use their handle animal bonus rather than the charisma modifier, if using wild empathy for the explicit purpose of soul binding the creature. If used on magical beasts with Int 1 or 2, the check suffers a -4 penalty. Non-intelligent Vermin can be bound automatically. (Many bound vermin are swarms, which often outlive the individual members.)

Intelligent Creatures: Any intelligent creature has to be convinced through diplomacy to be soul bound to the land mage. Doing so requires shifting the initial attitude to friendly or helpful. Depending on alignment, some land mages may also try to trick or bully creatures into submission and agreeing to be bound. (Requiring successful Bluff or Intimidate checks).

When a creature agrees to be bound, the ritual of binding itself takes only one round, which stores the "creature..." spell in the land mage's mind (in the discarded area, as all new spells), and can be used, once the land mage rested for eight hours. If there is no more space in the land mage's mind (that is, the mage already knows the maximum number of spells for his level), the spell can be automatically imprinted, if an item of sufficent value (or a large enough parchment) is present. If neither is the case, the binding automatically fails.

No land mage may bind creatures of the three directly opposing alignments. Determine the opposed alignment using the circle below, moving towards the opposite end, then one step in each direction. e.g. a lawful good land mage may not bind chaotic evil, neutral evil and chaotic neutral creatures. It is possible to summon such creatures, if their spells are found, but the lawful good mage most likely does not want to do this.

Neutral characters have no opposed alignment as such. Thus they could bind all creatures, but most restrict themselves to creatures, who have at least one neutral aspect of alignment, or those alignments favoured by their primary colour. (Red tends towards chaos, white towards law, green towards druid alignments and many black creatures are evil.) If a neutral land mage binds numerous creatures of a specific alignment, they may shift into that direction. The DM may chose to enforce some restriction on the soul binding of neutral land mages (e.g. they can only bind creatures of alignments legal for druids).