Class Feature Friday: Phoenix Bloodline (Sorcerer Bloodline)
(art by AgusZanetti on DeviantArt)
Ah, the phoenix. Is there any symbol of life, death, and rebirth more wondrous and inspiring? Oftentimes, including in Pathfinder, phoenixes are also associated with manipulating fire beyond self-combustion, making them especially awesome as well.
It would only make sense that there would be those who want to emulate that power, and today’s bloodline seeks to do just that!
While it is unlikely that they have any direct relation by blood, sometimes a mortal or their descendants are infused with the power of a phoenix, perhaps by directly witnesses their fiery rebirth, or having been healed from near death by their magic, or maybe experiments involving phoenix blood. Either way, there are those that channel the magics of fire and healing through their blood, making them one of the very few sorcerers that can heal.
Physically speaking, this bloodline might manifest vibrant hair colors, feathers growing from the head or body, or other signs of the immortal bird’s influence.
Given their generally benevolent nature, I can imagine that most phoenix-blooded sorcerers share a similar disposition, but just as there can be corrupted phoenixes, I imagine there are exceptions among these mages too.
As we’ll soon see, this archetype is equal parts healer and blaster.
The spells granted by this bloodline include those that unleash a multitude of colors, namely a weak stun and barriers of deadly rainbow magic, piercing invisibility, fire magic in the form of barriers, runes of flames on allies, and transforming oneself into living flame, as well as breaking enchantments and creating safe pathways using hurricane-force winds.
Meanwhile, the techniques they learn include agility training in combat, focusing on fire magic, medical training, increased willpower, and quickening metamagic.
Perhaps most integral is their bloodline arcana, however, which lets them convert fire spells into a healing warmth to heal their allies, though with only have the potency compared to the destruction the spell would normally do.
These sorcerers boast supreme magical senses, allowing them to sense magical auras with ease, as well as immediately understand most magical items, though curses may still elude them.
They can also surround themselves with flame, empowering their attacks and searing foes that stand too close to them.
Additionally, they can grow a pair of phoenix wings to carry them aloft.
Later on, they can perform greater acts of restoration once a day, infusing the recipient with magical healing and purging flame.
The most powerful of these mages invoke the true power of the phoenix, and can resurrect from death once a day, rising a minute after apparently perishing, though overtaxing this ability can still kill them permanently.
While the wings and the free identification on most items and the fire aura are nice, the bread and butter of this bloodline is the ability to turn fire spells into healing magic, letting you do things like healing fireballs and the like. As such, This is one elementally-aligned bloodline you’ll want to load up on good fiery options, though of course, leave some room for diversity both in terms of other elements, and also other types of spells depending on your build.
With the powers of both flame and healing, this bloodline is certainly set up to inherit the reputation of the beings they draw power from. As such, they may find themselves living up to a lot of expectations, both reasonable and otherwise, and that’s a lot of pressure to be put under.
They say that phoenixes are related to other powerful elementally-aligned avians, and this includes tidehawks, who have their own sorcerous inheritors. Such is the case with the merfolk Melagi, who boasts a combination of stormwracked and phoenix bloodlines as a result, a combination she is proud to display, earning the nickname Storm Singer.
Subject to divine punishment from an evil god, a pharmakos is a creature of nearly immortal suffering and death with no respite. Even finally being slain only results in the soul being brought before the dark deity they forsook. However, one scholar posits that a ritual involving an atonement spell and blood donated by a phoenix-blooded sorcerer may yet free such a creature from their torment.
Despite the phoenix appearing as a symbol among many cultures, very few sorcerers that claim link to them are born. When one does appear, it is considered an omen of good fortune, one that many faiths may forget themselves to raise and acquire, such is the case with the infant that the party has been tasked with escorting.
