By Martin Xavier (martinx@cosmos2.phy.tufts.edu)
This is a path which has been developed to enhance the "Lure of flame" path. The "Lord of Flame" path only affects flames created by the thaumaturge himself through "Lure of Flames" and as a result, you need it to start learning this path. The point is to improve the control of unreleased flames and release them only partially.
Furthermore your courage rolls for any fire you have made and you know cannot burn you is made at a 3 difficulty (open flame -2). Automatic successes do apply. Because of the increased control of his flames by the thaumaturge increase the difficulty of any attempt to wrestle control of his flames from him (by a mage, a fire elemental...) by his level in the Lord of Flame path.
In the following, concentration indicates you can still act with half your dice pool. Total concentration means you can do nothing besides concentrating: no action necessitating a dice roll is possible; you are only aware of what you are concentrating on and someone must guide your movements if you want to move. Any surprise, blow or wound will break total concentration unless a willpower point is spent.
System: it is a Perception+Alertness roll with a difficulty depending on the potential size of the fire:
Difficulty | Description of Flame |
3 | To sense a bonfire. |
4 | To sense a chemical fire. |
5 | To sense a burning torch or explosive material capable of a conflagration. |
6 | To sense a burning lighter, the tank of a firethrower or a gallon of gasoline or equivalent. |
7 | To sense a burning cigarette or non-burning torch or equivalent. |
8 | To sense a palm of fire or equivalent. |
9 | To sense a lighter. |
10 | To sense an unlit cigarette. |
With one success you feel there is fire (or its possibility) in the area, with two you know where it is (or it is going to be), with three you can feel who is creating the fire (if created by magic).
System: This power is automatic as long as you use it on your own unreleased fire and concentrate when moving or shaping the flames. The movement can be as fast as you will it but you cannot teleport the flames and they must remain within line of sight. To make a sculpture of unreleased fire, a Wits+Expression (or similar artistic ability) must be made. You can also impress others, by creating a hair of flames, a flaming head (with holes at the eyes to avoid being dazzled)...
System: By concentrating on the fire after releasing it, you can make it burn as long as you concentrate and maintain it in the shape it had when released. The Eternal Flame can start other fires on which you have no control (at this level). Such a semi-released fire can still be shaped and moved with Dancing Flames but total concentration is needed while doing so. There is also no control at all on the fires started by the Eternal Flame. When concentration lapses, the fire is completely released and the thaumaturge has no more control on it. For instance, by using Dancing Fire first to shape the flames of a conflagration in a wall, the eternal flame can create a wall of fire which burns anybody who touches it but does not touch the walls and does not start a fire.
System: you can direct the expansion of a fire started by your flames, quicken its burning (increasing the size and the heat by one step and shortening its burning by one half if applicable) or smother the flames (decrease the size and heat by one step and increase the burning by one half). These maneuvers require concentration and can only be done one at a time. Using two maneuvers or the eternal flame simultaneously is possible but requires total concentration. If concentration (or total concentration) is somehow broken, the flames are immediately released and become normal flames. The thaumaturge can attempt to reassert control by spending a willpower point and doing a Willpower roll diff. 8. Note also that you can prevent the fire from extending in one direction or prevent anything but your target from burning but once something is burning you can not quench the flames, only increase or decrease them.
System: This power does not require concentration in itself and maintains the flames unreleased for the thaumaturge only. It can be used on any unreleased flame giving an effect smilar to the Eternal Flame but without risking being burnt or needing to concentrate. It can also be used in conjunction with the Mastered Flame (in that case the normal rules of concentration apply for the Mastered Flame) and the Dancing Flames. However if the flames are somehow released (for instance concentration is broken while using the mastered flame or a botch is achieved while trying to use the Dancing Flames), this effect is immediately cancelled and the thaumaturge risks being burned normally. A side effect is that any body part "burning" with the fire of Lord of Flame is protected from burns by less hot flames, while flames of equal heat are resisted (with Fortitude) at a -1 difficulty and warmer flames do damage normally.