Frost Mage

(Frostburn variant, p. 58)

Frost mages usually hail from lands of cold, snow, and ice: tundra, glaciers even outer planes perpetually shrouded in winter.

#### Requirements

**Skills:** Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks

**Feats:** Frozen Magic

**Spells**: Able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.

**Special**: The character must spend 24 hours unprotected in a blizzard.

#### Class Features

**Weapon and Armor Proficiency:** Frost mages gain no proficiency with any weapons, armor, or shields.

**Spells per Day/Spells Known:** At every level gained in the frost mage class, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (metamagic or item creation bonus feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character has more than one spellcasting class before becoming a frost mage, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day and spells known.

**Natural Armor Increase (Ex):** At 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th level, a frost mage's body becomes more like the ice he venerates. His skin turns whiter and colder to the touch as the permanent layer of frost grows deeper. This provides an increase to the character's existing natural armor, as indicated on Table 3—5 (the numbers represent the total increase gained to that point) and he takes no damage from cold environments. In warm temperatures, the frost continually evaporates and replenishes itself, enshrouding the frost mage in a wispy vapor.

**Resistance to Cold (Ex):** Starting at 2nd level, the frost mage's icy skin grants him resistance to cold 10.

**Gain Knowledge (Ex):** Beginning at 3rd level, the frost mage gains knowledge of the spell conjure "*ice beast I*": /spells/frostburn—68/conjure-ice-beast-i—1238/, if he does not already have it. Former wizards get to add this spell to their spellbooks for free, and former sorcerers and bards get to add this spell to their spells known, even if this takes them over their normal limit. For each two levels gained in the prestige class, he gains knowledge of the next higher level in the conjure ice beast spell progression (conjure ice beast II at 5th level, conjure ice beast III at 7th level, and conjure ice beast IV at 9th level). At 7th level, in addition to gaining conjure ice beast III, the frost mage gains "*animate snow*": /spells/frostburn—68/animate-snow—1296/ as a spell known. At 9th level, in addition to gaining conjure ice beast IV, the frost mage gains "*frostfell*": /spells/frostburn—68/frostfell—1313/ as a spell known. This class feature does not change the level of the spell. A frost mage still must have a spell slot of the appropriate level to prepare or cast a spell acquired through the gain knowledge ability.

**Piercing Cold:** At 4th level, the frost mage gains Piercing Cold as a bonus metamagic feat. In addition to the normal benefits of the feat, the frost mage bypasses all resistances and immunities to cold granted by spells and spell-like effects of magic items (for example, a ring of minor energy resistance [cold]).

**One with Cold (Ex):** At 10th level, the frost mage's body has become perfectly adapted to cold energy. He gains the cold subtype, granting him immunity to cold. His oneness with cold, however, makes him more susceptible to flame. Just like any other creature with the cold subtype, he gains vulnerability to fire, which means he takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether or not a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.