[DF] The Realm of Cold and Ice

[SCAR]

DF7 Clerics gives us an excellent framework to create powers and templates for Gods of different Realms, or even whole Pantheons.
One realm which I though deserved it's own coverage was that of Cold/Frost/Ice; so here is my attempt at a full DF7 Realm/Deity:

Gods of Cold and Ice

Cold and Ice are most commonly associated with Winter for deity figures of our world. For fantasy worlds and fiction, their powers and associations can go much further, most traditionally to the frozen northlands.
Cold and Ice invoke the idea of frozen in stasis, but they are not entirely unchanging, a blizzard is very dynamic in its nature.
While ice and cold might be seen as an opposite to fire and heat, there are similarities; cold can burn, just not in the same manner as fire; the cleansing aspects of healing also bare comparison.
The magic of cold and ice draws from air, water and fire; mostly from the edges of these realms. The nature of slow and ice is similar to aspects of earth – solid ground, loose material, and directly useable for constructions – making the realm of cold/ice connected to all four of the basic (western) elements.
Priests of a God of Cold and Ice will be hardy survivors, the aspects of cold teach patience and efficiency of action – but when they do act, like the falling of snow or movement of a glacier, they can be unstoppable.

Ice Gods and Morality
The frozen stasis aspect of cold makes many ice gods morally Neutral, but the hostility to life of extreme cold and ice can serve Evil; it also distances ice deities from being associated with Nature. The cleansing nature of cold and ice does make an association with Good a reasonable possibility.

Elements
Alongside both Air and Water, Gods of Cold and Ice may be associated with Order and Light

Special Powers
Frost gods may grant their priests and holy warriors Holy Might, or Unholy Might for an evil God.

Holy abilities for this power are as follows:

Allies (Divine servant of equal points; 12 or less; PM, -10%; Summonable, +100%) [19] or (15 or less) [29]; Blessed (PM, -10%) [9]; Damage Resistance 1 or 2 (Limited, Elemental, -20%; PM, -10%) [4 or 7]; Detect (PM, -10%) for supernatural beings [18]; Patron (Deity; 6 or less; Highly Accessible, +50%; Minimal Intervention, -50%; PM, -10%; Special Abilities, +100%) [29] or (9 or less) [57]; Spirit Empathy (PM, -10%) [9]; Temperature Control 1 to 5 (Area Effect, 16 yards, +150%, Cold only, -50%; Increased Range, 20 yards, +10%; PM, -10%) [10 per level]; Temperature Tolerance 1 to 8 (must be added to the “cold” end of the scale) (PM, -10%) [1/level]; Terrain Adaptation (Ice/Snow; PM, -10%) [5]; and True Faith (PM, -10%) [14].

Priests of Frost
Use the standard cleric or evil cleric templates for an ice priest as appropriate, modified as follows:

Advantages: Add Single Minded [5] and Temperature Tolerance 1 or 2 (Cold End) [1/level]; to the list of available Advantages.
Disadvantages: Drop the Vows for No Edged Weapons (Ice can be sharp) and Vegetarianism.
Skills: Reduce Esoteric Medicine to Per-1 [2] and add Survival (Arctic) (E) Per [2]; ● Replace Hiking in the list of background skills with Skiing (H) HT-2 [1] and/or Skating (H) HT-2 [1].

Priest Spells
Clerics of ice gods have the following spells available:

PI 1: Cold, Freeze, Frost (Required*); Cool, Coolness, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Ice Sphere, Icy Touch, Icy Weapon, Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Resist Cold, Resist Water, Seek Water, Share Vitality, Silence

PI 2: Create Ice (Required), Aura, Awaken, Create Water, Extinguish Fire, Frostbite, Ice Dagger, Ice Slick, Icy Missiles, Melt Ice, Minor Healing, Purify Food, Resist Disease, Resist Pressure, Sense Spirit, Shape Water, Shield, Snow, Snow Shoes, Stop Bleeding, Summon Spirit, Turn Spirit, Vigor, Walk Through Water, Water Vision

PI 3: Affect Spirits, Armor, Bravery, Breathe Water, Clouds, Command, Magic Resistance, Might, Predict Weather, Purify Air, Relieve Sickness, Repel Spirits, Resist Acid, Resist Lightning, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Seeker, Shape Air, Snow Jet, Strengthen Will, Swim

PI 4: Command Spirit, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Divination, Flesh to Ice, Fog, Glow, Hail, Icy Breath, Major Healing, Neutralize Poison, Oath, Preserve Food, Rain of Ice Daggers, Remove Contagion, Resist Fire, Suspend Curse, Turn Zombie, Vigil, Weather Dome, Wind, Windstorm

PI 5: Astral Vision, Banish, Bless, Curse, Dispel Possession, Entrap Spirit, Rain, Relieve Madness, Remove Curse, Storm, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Water Elemental, Suspend Mana

PI 6: Bind Spirit, Body of Ice, Control Air Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Drain Mana, Great Healing, Pentagram, Planar Summons (Divine Servitor), Sanctuary

*At least one of Cold, Freeze or Frost is Required.

Holy Warriors of Ice
A warrior dedicated to the cause of an ice deity is likely to be a patient and focused individual, usually protecting the status quo. Start with the standard holy warrior template, with the following modifications.

Advantages: Optionally change the mandatory Higher Purpose to ‘Protect the Status Quo’ ● Add Single Minded [5] and Temperature Tolerance 1 or 2 (Cold End) [1/level]; to the list of available Advantages.
Skills: Reduce Exorcism to Will-1 [2]; and add Survival (Arctic) (E) Per [2]; ● Replace Hiking in the list of background skills with Skiing (H) HT-2 [1] and/or Skating (H) HT-2 [1].

[SCAR]

DF9 Summoners - gave us the Elementalist, and along with the basic elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water - it offered alternate powers for the elements of Wood, Metal and Void/Sound/Ether.

Cold/Ice/Frost seemed like it would work as another elemental speciality, so here it is:


Cold and Ice “Specialist” Elementalist
Ice and Snow have similar aspects to Earth in the Frozen Northern Lands, and the Magics of Cold and Ice are drawn from the colleges of Air, Fire and Water; making Cold and Ice a strong combination of all four ‘traditional’ elements.

Elemental Abilities
Attuned (Cold): DR1-10 (Limited, Cold/Ice, -40%; PM, -10%) [2.5/level*]; Fatigue Attack 1d (Freezing, +20%; Melee, C, -30%; PM, -10%) [8]; Fur [1]; Terrain Adaption (Ice or Snow; PM, -10%) [5]; Temperature Control 1-6 (Cold; PM, -10%) [1/level]; Temperature Tolerance 1-8 (Cold; PM, -10%) [1/level];

* Remember to multiply the cost by the number of levels being purchased, then round up to the next whole point.

Cold/Frost/Ice Element
Use the following as the Cold/Frost/Ice elemental spells.

Spell                  Prerequisites
Body of Ice            Magery/Elemental Influence 2, Freeze
Cold                   -
Control (Ice)          Summon (Ice) Elemental
    Elemental  
Cool                   Four other Cold/Frost/Ice spells
Coolness               Cold
Create Ice             Freeze
Create (Ice)           Magery/Elemental Influence 2 and 
    Elemental               Control (Ice) Elemental
Flesh to Ice           Magery/Elemental Influence 1, Frostbite and Icy Touch
Freeze                 -
Frost                  Cold
Frostbite              Frost, Freeze
Hail                   Snow
Ice Dagger             Ice Sphere
Ice Slick              Frost
Ice Sphere             Freeze
Icy Breath             Magery/Elemental Influence 1, Resist Cold and Snow Jet
Icy Missiles           Icy Weapon
Icy Touch              Magery/Elemental Influence 1 and four other
                            Cold/Frost/Ice spells
Icy Weapon             Freeze
Melt Ice               Freeze
Rain of Ice Daggers    Magery/Elemental Influence 2, Hail, Ice Dagger
Resist Cold            -
Snow                   Frost
Snow Jet               Freeze, Frost
Snow Shoes             Resist Cold
Summon (Ice)           Magery/Elemental Influence 1 and eight other 
                            Cold/Frost/Ice spells Elemental or four 
                            such spells and another Summon Elemental spell

I have built a base Small Cold/Frost/Ice Elemental Template, but I haven't built a set of suitable additional lenses as yet!

[SCAR]

DF11 Power Ups - Gave us Elemental Storms for the 4 basic Elements; it seems only reasonable to give the Cold/Frost/Ice Elementalist a Storm Power-Up; and since they are listed in DF, I stated Storms for Wood, Metal and Void/Sound/Ether.

Elementalist – Cold/Frost/Ice
Additional Power-Up:
● Permeation (Ice/Snow; Elemental, -10%) [9], if generalist, water-attuned or cold/frost/ice-attuned.

Storms

Storm of Cold/Frost/Ice
Prerequisite: Elemental Influence 6+ (Cold/Frost/Ice or All Elements).
Bullet-like hail rains from above, puncturing those who don’t flee for 2d-1 large piercing damage per hit.
Advantages: Large Piercing Attack 2d-1 (Elemental Storm, +180%) [40]

Bonus – Storms for other Elements

Storm of Wood
Poisonous Thorns
Advantages: Cutting Attack 1d+2 (Elemental Storm, +180%) [32] + Toxic Attack 2d (Follow-Up) [8]

Storm of Metal
Hundreds of Tiny, Cutting Blades or Needles
Advantages: Cutting Attack 1d+1 (Armor Divisor (3), +100%; Elemental Storm, +180%; Rapid Fire 3, +50%) [40];
or - Small Piercing 3d+1 (Armor Divisor (2), +50%; Elemental Storm, +180%; Rapid Fire 7, +70%) [40]

I really can't decide which of the above feels better!

Storm of Void/Sound/Ether
Corrosive Sound/Vibration and/or Corrosive Void
Advantages: Corrosive Attack 2d-2 (Elemental Storm, +180%) [40]

[SCAR]

Here is a template for a Small Cold/Frost/Ice Elemental!

Small Cold/Frost/Ice Elemental

40 points

ST 10 [0]; DX 9 [-20]; IQ 8 [-40]; HT 9 [-10];
HP 12 [4]; Will 8 [0]; Per 8 [0]; FP 9 [0]; Speed 4.75 [0] ; Move 4 [0] ; SM: -1;
Dodge: 7 ; Parry: 7 (DX): ; DR: 0 [0];
Icy Punch (9): 1d-3 crushing

Advantages: Damage Resistance 5 (Limited, Cold/Frost/Ice, -40%) [15]; Doesn’t Breath [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No Blood) [45]; Pressure Support 3 [15]; Slippery 3 [6]; Terrain Adaption (Ice) [5]; Vacuum Support [5];
Disadvantages: Fragile (Brittle) [-15]; Vulnerability (Heat/Fire attack, x2) [-30]; Weakness (Intense normal heat; 1d/minute) [-20]
Features: Susceptible to elemental-control magic.
Class: Elemental.

Lenses:
Chilling Touch (+20 points): Change HP to 13 [2]. Add Chilling Touch* [18].

Snowball (+20 points): Change HP to 30 [36]; Move to 6 [10] and SM to +1. Add Enhanced Move 1 [20]; No Manipulators [-50] and Brawling (E) DX+2 [4].
A giant mobile rolling snowball, which can use a Move and Attack to Slam an opponent (Skill 11) for 4d Slam Damage; and at SM +1, it will likely roll over a human sized target!

Frost Giant (+85 points): Change ST to 14 (Size, -10%) [36]; HT to 11 [20]; HP to 17 [2] and SM to +1. Add DR 2 [10]; Chilling Touch* [18]; Ham Fisted 1 [-5] and Brawling (E) DX+2 [4].

Deep Freeze (+85 points): Temperature Control 5 (Always On, -10%; Area Effect, 128 yards, +300%; Cold, -50%; Emanation, -20%; Reduced Time 1, +20%) [85]
Reduces the temperature around the elemental to 128 yard radius by -100F at -20F per second!

Ice Warrior (+145 points): Increase ST to 15 (Size, -10%) [45]; DX to 10 [20]; HT to 10 [10]; HP to 15 [-4] and SM to +1. Add DR 5 (Can’t Wear Armour, -40%) [15]; Ice Spear† [45]; Sharp Claws [5]; Short Spines [1]; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4] and Innate Attack (Ice Spear) (E) DX+2 [4]

Frost Draconian (+145 points): Increase DX to 10 [20]; IQ to 9 [20]; HT to 10 [10] and Move to 6 [5]. Add Claws [3]; Chameleon 4 (Snow/Ice Only, -20%) [20]; Icy Breath‡ [49] and Freezing Breath§ [10]; Stealth (A) DX [2]; Climbing (A) DX [2]; Brawling (E) DX+1 [2] and Innate Attack (Breath) (E) DX+1 [2].
An icy lizard man, with a frosty breath attack, which can have two different freezing effects. Freezing Breath is bought as an alternate ability to Icy Breath.

Old Man Winter (+210 points): Change IQ to 10 [40]; Add Elastic Skin (Glamour, Will+1, -35%) [13]; Blizzard¶ [64]; Permeation (Ice/Snow; Tunnel, +40%) [14] + Permeation (Ice/Snow) [2]; Temperature Control 5 (Area Effect, 64 yards, +250%; Cold, -50%; Emanation, -20%; Reduced Time 1, +20%) [75]; Hidden Lore (Winter) (A) IQ [2];
A traveller, usually looks like a member of the same race as the elementalist who summoned it, or the leader of the party it encounters. (This is not particularly intended as a deception, thus the Will+1 roll to see through the glamour). Permeation (without Tunnel) is bought as an alternate ability to Permeation (with Tunnel).

* Chilling Touch: Fatigue Attack 1d (Always On, -40%; Armor Divisor (2), +50%; Aura, +80%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Freezing, +20%) [18].
† Ice Spear: Impaling Attack 3d+1 (Accurate, +1, +5%; Armor Divisor (2), +50%; Costs FP, 1 per use, -5%; Increased ½D, x10, +15%; Increased Max, x2, +5%) [45].
‡ Icy Breath: Crushing Attack 3d-1 (Cone, 5 yards, +100%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No Knockback, -10%; Reduced Range, ×1/5, -20%; Side Effect, Paralysis, +200%) [49].
§ Freezing Breath: Binding 15 (Engulfing, +60%) [48].
Notes: Freezes the victim in ice. Treat FP lost to failed attempts to break free as freezing (see Cold, p. B430), but the victim doesn’t become helplessly entangled on 17-18. This tradeoff is a special effect.
¶ Blizzard: Obscure 3 (Hearing; Area Effect, 64 yards, +250%; Link, +10%) [22] + Obscure 5 (Vision; Area Effect, 64 yards, +250%; Extended, Infravision, Ladar, Ultravision, +60%; Link, +10%) [42] = [64] total.

Ice Spear is a slightly weaker version of Ice Spear from P138; Icy Breath is Frost Breath from P138; Freezing Breath is Ice Bonds from P138, bought as a Breath Attack; and Blizzard is based on Blizzard from P137 with some minor adjustments.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by SCAR

True Faith (PM, -10%) [14]

No Turning? And no limitations? I'd think it would be more consistent with some of the others if it had Accessibility (Only when the ambient temperature is 40 degrees or less) or something.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

No Turning? And no limitations? I'd think it would be more consistent with some of the others if it had Accessibility (Only when the ambient temperature is 40 degrees or less) or something.

Earth, Fire, Sea (Water) and Storm (Air) all have True Faith without the Turning Enhancement - so it seems reasonable for Cold/Ice to be consistent with those.

Only Night has an Accessibility on True Faith, Sun does not, so there doesn't seem like a need - although it's not a bad idea.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by SCAR

Earth, Fire, Sea (Water) and Storm (Air) all have True Faith without the Turning Enhancement - so it seems reasonable for Cold/Ice to be consistent with those.

Yeah, keeping Ice consistent with the other elemental realms makes a lot of sense. Suggestion withdrawn.

[NorphTehDwarf]

I won't comment on the crunch, but I'd like to address a point in your fluff: One thing that I'd add to your Morality section is that in hotter climates a god of cold could be strongly favored as a deliverer from the oppressive heat. Or something. That sentence sounded way cooler in my head.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by NorphTehDwarf

I won't comment on the crunch, but I'd like to address a point in your fluff: One thing that I'd add to your Morality section is that in hotter climates a god of cold could be strongly favored as a deliverer from the oppressive heat. Or something. That sentence sounded way cooler in my head.

Good idea - I'll see about adding it later.
I did try not to get too wrapped up in the Cold/Ice = Frozen North/Winter, I was definitely influenced by that association in writing the fluff!

[BaHalus]

Had though about that before, without the writing down. I thought about linking all that with silence and darkness either. The evil god (it was evil in my ideas) mages would have cold/dark versions of all the magics of the other elements. Thought even about a cold flame.