(Master of Metal, Lord of Smiths, the Armorer, the Weaponsmith, the Great Steelsmith, the Pyromancer)
Intermediate Power of the Twin Paradises, NG
PORTFOLIO: Mining, physical fitness, smithing, metalworking, weaponsmithing, armoring
ALIASES: None
DOMAIN NAME: Dothion/the Golden Hills (the Mithral Forge)
SUPERIOR: Garl Glittergold
ALLIES: Clangeddin Silverbeard, Cyrrollalee, Dumathoin, Geb, Grumbar, Kossuth, Moradin, Urogalan, Vergadain, the
gnome pantheon (except Urdlen)
FOES: Abbathor, Gaknulak, Kuraulyek, Kurtulmak, Urdlen, the goblinkin pantheons
SYMBOL: Flaming hammer
WOR. ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN
Flandal Steelskin (FLAN-dahl STEEL-skin) is a master of mining and one of the finest and strongest smiths in creation. The Forgotten Folk hold that he helped create the craft of metalworking along with several of the dwarven powers. In particular, Flandal devised an alloy first employed by gnomes known as telstang, and he was the first to discover the properties of arandur, a legendary metal once known only to the Forgotten Folk. Flandal is physically the strongest of the gnome gods, and his prodigious nose gives him an uncanny ability to sniff out veins of metal that thread the earth. The Master of Metal is the patron of gnome miners, artisans, craftsmen, and all smiths—not just blacksmiths, but goldsmiths, silversmiths, and all other workers of metal. They venerate Flandal in the hope of gaining a fraction of his skill. A large number of gnome warriors venerate Flandal the Armorer as well, for his skills help ensure their continued survival.
Flandal has excellent relations with the other gnome powers, with the notable exception of Urdlen. It was Flandal who helped forge and enchant Arumdina, Garl Glittergold's battle axe, and the Master of Metal is a trusted advisor to the head of the gnome pantheon. Flandal is friendly toward Segojan Earthcaller, for both oversee the safety of gnome miners. Similarly, Flandal and Nebelun (Gond) share a strong bond as fellow craftsmen, though the Master of Metal despairs that the Meddler will ever get his projects to actually work. Flandal is also closely allied with many of the good aligned deities of the dwarven pantheon, and he shares a particularly strong bond with Moradin the Soul Forger. Like all gnome powers, Flandal opposes the various humanoid powers, particularly the kobold pantheon. The role the Master of Metal takes in combating them is indirect, for his primary focus is to pass on secrets for forging armor and weapons to the Forgotten Folk, so that they may defend themselves.
Flandal is a true master craftsmen. He is ever-demanding of his own work and strives tirelessly to increase his skill. He is also a patient tutor; only lazy and indifferent craftsfolk draw his ire. The Master of Metal is often found traveling with one or two of the other gnome powers in search of new ores and veins of metal to use in his forges. When Flandal is not traveling, he can be found in his workshop, planning or making a new magical weapon. He is no stranger to battle, trusting in the creations of his forges to see him to victory. Although Flandal's war hammer Rhondang is capable of conversing with all fire-using creatures, its language proficiencies in no way means that Flandal is friendly toward those beings. Still, this god is pr ne to talk first in preference to combat. On rare occasions, Flandal dispatches an avatar to instruct gnomes in some very tricky smithing process or to guide them to hidden veins of ores. He may also send an avatar to deal with any disputes between gnomes and firedwelling creatures.
Flandal's Avatar (Fighter 33, Cleric 33, Earth Elementalist 30, Fire Elementalist 30)
Flandal often appears as a balding, slightly aging, huge-nosed gnome with skin the color of blue mithral and eyes that appear as flaming coals. His hair and beard are brilliant blue-silver, and he wears a leather apron over (or in lieu of beard are brilliant blue-silver, and he wears a leather apron over (or in lieu of) his other clothing. He favors spells from the spheres of all, combat, creation, divination, elemental (earth, fire), guardian, protection, sun, and time and from the schools of divination and elemental earth and fire, although he can cast spells from any sphere or school.
AC -6; MV 12; HP 223; THAC0 -10; #AT 5/2 Dmg 1d4+20 (war hammer +5, +12 STR, +2 spec. bonus in war hammer)
MR 70%; SZM (4 feet tall)
STR 24, DEX 19, CON 21, INT 18, Wis 18, CHA 16
Spells P: 12/12/11/11/9/9/9, W: 9/9/9/9/9/9/9/8/8*
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 1**, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 1**
*Numbers assume one extra elemental earth and elemental fire spell per spell level. **Includes gnome +6 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1.
Special Att/Def: Flandal wields Rhondang, a war hammer +5 of gold-plated mithral with an axe back. Rhondang inflicts double damage against cold-using and cold-dwelling creatures, can hurl a 6d6 fireball once per round in addition to its normal attacks, can flame like a flame tongue at will, and speaks the languages of all fire-using creatures (chimerae, fire elementals, red dragons, etc.).
Once per round, Flandal can cast heat metal, ironguard, or 'pyrotechnics' at will. Once per day, Flandal can summon 2d4 16-HD fire elementals. These elementals are quite friendly to him and serve without question for up to 1 hour before returning to the Elemental Plane of Fire. The Master of Metal wears an apron of fire resistance that reduces to half all damage suffered from heat and fire. He can be struck only by +2 or better magical weapons.
Other Manifestations
Flandal may manifest as flares of fire in a forge or hearth or jets of flame dancing about a bare floor or earth. Such naming manifestations can erupt into a fireball, flame strike, or pyrotechnics effect or serve as a pyromantic scrying device.
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No
Flandal is served by earth elementals, fire elementals, helmed horrors, iron golems, khargra, living steel, metal masters, mineral quasielementals, rust monsters, steel dragons, xavers, and xorns. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery of precious metals of any sort (particularly arandur and telstang), beljurils, fire agates, fire opals, flamedance, and mellochrysos. The Master of Metal indicates his displeasure by causing small tremors in the earth and by causing metals to crack or shatter as they cool or are struck by a hammer.
All clerics (including fighter/clerics, cleric/illusionists, and cleric/thieves) and specialty priests of Flandal receive religion (gnome) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.
The church of Flandal is highly regarded by most gnomes, for its priests are typically master smiths, a very respected occupation in the societies of the Forgotten Folk. They are known to share the secrets of their crafts with gnome artisans and craftsfolk without prejudice. The Stout Folk also hold the Master of Metal in high regard, and Flandal's followers are considered on the average to be the equal of dwarven smiths, a high compliment from the proud children of Moradin, and the followers of Flandal Steelskin are seen to embody nearly everything dwarves-like about the gnome character. Humans, elves, and half-elves respect the workmanship of the Forgotten Folk, but their work lacks the mystique that enfolds dwarven smithcraft, and as a result, Flandal's faith is less widely known than that of Moradin.
Temples of Flandal are typically subterranean forges that serve the faithful as both houses of worship and working smithies. Most temples are built atop the mines from which the ore for the priesthood's smithy is brought to be smelted.
Novices of Flandal are known as the Unworked. Full priests of the Master of Metal are known as the Tempered. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Flandalian priests are Tinsmith, Bronzesmith, Brasssmith, Coppersmith, Silversmith, Electrumsmith, Goldsmith, Plarinumsmith, and Steelsmith. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as pyrosmiths. The clergy of Flandal includes rock gnomes (65%), deep gnomes (25%), and forest gnomes (10%). Males make up the majority of his priesthood (88%). Flandal's clergy includes specialty priests (55%), fighter/clerics (35%), clerics (7%), cleric/illusionists (2%), and cleric/thieves (1%).
Dogma: The treasures of life were buried within the earth's embrace at Segojan's hand, and only hard labor, dedication, and great craftsmanship, as taught by the Master of Metal, can reveal their hidden beauties and wonders. Dig mines, extract ores, and forge suits of armor, weapons, and other items of metal. Strive to refine known techniques of metalworking, invent new processes for tempering and refining it, and discover new alloys and test their potentials. Finally, stay physically fit to enable you to pursue the rigors of the forge and mine with your whole heart.
Day-to-Day Activities: Members of Flandal's priesthood are in veterate miners and smiths. They continuously hone their skills in underground environments, seeking an intuitive understanding of the earth and stone. Many serve as teachers, instructing other gnomes in the art of detecting veins of ore, unsafe environments, and the presence of hostile creatures. Priests of the Master of Metal oversee the safety of gnome miners and inspect the output of gnome smithies. Nearly all members of the clergy are considered master smiths when working with one or more types of metal, and they produce fantastic weapons and suits of armor whose quality rivals that of priests of Moradin. Flandal's priests are expected to undergo regular strength and stamina training, a practice that keeps them physically fit for mining, smithing, or battle, as needed.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Members of Flandal's priesthood assemble annually on Midsummers Day in great moots to celebrate the holy day known as the High Forge. The faithful gather in the morning to make offerings of forged metal weapons to the god and offer praises to him through rhythmic, percussive hammer hymns culminating at midday with a brief period of utter silence. In the afternoon and evening, the participants exchange ideas and new techniques and exhibit the finest of their wares, and by evening the gathering is overwhelmed by merchants seeking to acquire new trade goods.
Major Centers of Worship: In the Cold Lands north of the Moonsea, a small mountain range runs east-west along the northern edge of the Border Forest, dividing the Tortured Land from the Ride. On the southern flanks of the White Peaks, as the snow-capped range is known locally, lies the small town of Whitehom. Like Ilinvur to the south and west, Whitehom is an outpost of Melvaunt and Thentia where the ore brought from nearby mines is crudely smelted before shipment to the cities to the south. Although individual gnome and dwarven miners are a regular, if infrequent, presence in Whitehom, the humans who make up the majority of the town's population believe they are simply a handful of isolated miners who eke out a living by trading ore for food and equipment. Unbeknownst to the merchants of the Moonsea, the White Peaks are home to a large city of gnomes (as well as a few dwarves) named Forham. Forham was founded over five centuries ago by an order of Flandalian priests after their leader, a gnome priest known only as the Arandhammer, discovered a massive vein of arandur in the heart of an ancient volcano. Begun as a temple-foundry consecrated to the Master of Metal, the Vitreous Forge has since grown into a city of over 10,000 gnomes and nearly 500 dwarves. Forham is ruled by the Hammers of Flandal, a ruling council composed of senior miners, master smiths, and the Arandhammer (the seventh high priest of Flandal to hold that title). Arandur from the city's mines is smelted and forged into iron-plated trade bars and then sold to allied merchant concerns in Whitehom by gnomes and dwarves pretending to be miners from isolated iron mines in the surrounding mountains. When Forham's trade bars reach Melvaunt or Thentia, they are repurchased discreetly by traders in the employ of gnome-owned trading companies and shipped to communities of the Forgotten Folk throughout the southern Realms. By this means, the followers of Flandal are able to ship great quantities of this legendary metal across the Realms from mines right under the nose of the Zhentarim. When the occasional caravan carrying the trade bars of Forham is lost, an elite company of gnome warriors and priests is dispatched to recover the lost trade bars before anyone discovers their arandur cores. A fact that would greatly alarm the human miners of Whitehom, if they only knew, is the presence of a young red dragon and an adult blue dragon in the catacombs of Forham. Raised from birth by the temple's clergy, both wyrms have reached a mutually beneficial agreement with the city's smiths in which they lend their breath weapons during the smelting of arandur in exchange for a significant tithe of the profits.
Affiliated Orders: The Fellowship of Steel is an order of fighters, clerics, fighter/clerics, and specialty priests that defend the mines of the Forgotten Folk. Members of this order serve their god by guarding miners and clearing regions of tunnels which gnomes are planning to mine of any dangerous creatures.
Priestly Vestments: The ceremonial garb of Flandal's priests is a steel helm and a suit of metal armor, typically chain mail or plate mail. Senior priests tint their metallic vestments the redorange hue of the forge. The holy symbol of the faith is a miniature steel hammer engraved with a flame.
Adventuring Garb: Priests ofFlandal favor the most durable metal armor available when adventuring, trusting their safety to the quality of workmanship and strength of materials. They only employ weapons made at least in part of metal, and solid metal weapons are always preferred.
Specialty Priests (Pyrosmiths)
REQUIREMENTS: Strength 12, Constitution 12, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: NG
WEAPONS: Any metal-bladed or metal-headed weapon
ARMOR: Any metal armor
MAJOR SPHERES: All, combat, creation, divination, elemental (earth, fire), guardian, protection, sun, time
MINOR SPHERES: Elemental (air, water), healing, war
MAGICAL ITEMS: As clerics
REQ. PROFS: War hammer; armorer or weaponsmithing
BONUS PROFS: Blacksmithing, endurance, mining
In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Master of Metal may cast the 1st-level priest spell detect metals and minerals, detailed in 'Powers & Pantheons' in the entry for Geb. In addition, members of Flandal's clergy have developed firebased variants of many clerical divination spells, a subspecialty of divination known as pyromancy. Typically, the medium of divination in such variants is replaced by fire. For example, the Flandalian variant of magic font involves a flickering flame, not a basin of holy water.
1st Level
Detect Metals and Minerals (Pr 1; Divination)
Sphere: Divination, Elemental (Earth)
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round/level
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 10-foot x 120-foot path
Saving Throw: None
This spell allows its casters to divine the location of a single type of ore or mineral deposit. Casting priests concentrate on finding a specific type of metal or minerals. Priests can detect different types of metals and minerals (including gems) during the spell's duration, but only one type can be detected per round. If the substance is within a path 10 feet wide and 120 feet long, the exact location and approximate quantity of the metal or mineral is revealed. Casters can find metals and minerals of any type and can determine whether they are in a pure, refined form (pure silver, for example), raw ore (iron ore), or alloy form (adamantine). Casting priests can move at a walk and maintain the spell, but they cannot engage in strenuous activity and maintain it.
The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol.
Steelskin (Pr 1; Alteration)
Sphere: Protection
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: None
By means of this spell, the caster transforms the hide of a creature into an alloy of flesh and steel. The added protection of the spell is sufficient to give a +1 bonus to Armor Class for every three levels of the priest (round up), to a maximum bonus of +5. However, the 'steelskin' reduces the recipient's Dexterity to two thirds normal (rounded down) with a corresponding adjustment to Dexterity related abilities.
The material components for this spell are the priest's holy symbol and a forged steel rod.
3rd Level
Metal Shape (Pr 3; Alteration)
Sphere: Elemental Earth
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 9 cubic feet+1 cubic foot/level
Saving Throw: None
By means of this spell, the caster forms an existing piece of nonmagical metal into any shape that suits his or her purposes. For example, she or he can make a metal weapon, a special trapdoor, or a crude idol. While metal coffers can be formed, metal doors made, and so forth, the fineness of detail is not great. If the shaping has moving parts, there is a 30% chance they do not work. If the shaping has a sharp edge, there is only a 30% chance it is sharp enough to cut. However, if this spell is employed on metal prior to it being worked by a smith, it reduces the time and expense to create the final product by 50% or more, as adjudicated by the DM. The material component for this spell is lead that must be worked with a hammer into roughly the desired shape of the metal object.
4th Level
Shades of Rhondang (Pr 4; Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Fire
Range: Touch
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Caster's hammer
Saving Throw: None
This spell gains its name by allowing the caster to temporarily duplicate certain powers of Flandal's magical hammer, Rhondang. When the spell is cast, the caster's hammer bursts into flames, taking on the magical characteristics of a flame tongue sword. Thus, while the spell lasts, the hammer is regarded as a +1 weapon, +2 vs. regenerating creatures, +3 vs. cold-using, flammable, and avian creatures, and +4 vs. the undead. It produces light equal to a torch and can ignite flammable objects upon contact.
Shades of Rhondang functions only if used on a nonmagical hammer. If cast on a magical hammer or any other type of weapon, the spell automatically fails. Furthermore, the hammer to be affected must be owned and used by the caster and cannot be passed to another creature. Attempting to cast the spell on someone else's hammer or seeking to pass the hammer to another creature immediately negates the spell.
Shades of Rhondang ends if subjected to a successful dispel magic or similar effect, if the caster is slain, rendered unconscious, or releases his or her grip on the hammer's handle. Since the caster must retain a hold of the hammer to prevent the spell from ending, she or he cannot cast spells that require somatic components nor perform any actions that require the use of both hands.
The material components for this spell are the caster's holy symbol and the hammer to be affected, neither of which are consumed by the spell.