Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

The Unapproachable East is known throughout
Faerûn as a land of strange, powerful magic. Stories
abound of the awesome arcane strength of the
Red Wizards, the terrible majesty of the Simbul, and the fierce
pride and sensual allure of the Witches of Rashemen. Clerics
and wizards of other lands wield great power and influence, but
only in the East do spellcasters rule entire nations with such
unshakable strength and determination. Wizards enslave Thay;
druids govern the Great Dale; a sorcerer-queen rules over Aglarond,
while female clerics and wizards choose the Iron Lord of
Rashemen and arrange the realm’s affairs to suit their wishes.
Secrets of the East
Secrets of magical lore lie hidden in every land of the Unapproachable
East. The wizard-ruled land of Thay is notorious
for magical experimentation and cruel necromancy, while the
Witches of Rashemen jealously guard their secrets behind
magical masks and cultural barriers designed to baffle any
enemy seeking to understand the sources of their powers.
Circle Magic
Several orders, sects, and secret societies practice cooperative
circle magic, but two of the foremost of these groups are located
in the East—the Red Wizards of Thay and the Witches of
Rashemen. By combining their magical strength, a handful of
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spellcasters may accomplish together things undreamed of by
the most powerful of their fellows working alone.
Circle magic is described in Chapter 2: Magic of the
FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting. Not every spellcaster
may join a circle; a Red Wizard must have the Tattoo Focus
feat to do so, while a Witch must have the Ethran feat. Similarly,
leading a circle requires a character to reach 5th level
in the Red Wizard prestige class or 4th level in the hathran
prestige class. Many high-ranking Red Wizards convene a
circle of their apprentices each day to siphon magical power
from their minions and strengthen their own spells. Hathrans
are less likely to do this as a matter of course but do not hesitate
to volunteer their most powerful spells for circles when
the situation calls for such a measure.
Contingent Spells
Contingent spells are single-use, one-spell magic items that do
not use a magic item space and do not have a physical form.
They remain inactive until triggered, similar to a spell cast
with a contingency spell. Once triggered, they immediately take
effect upon the bearer of the contingent spell (or in the
bearer’s square, if the spell affects an area). A character must
take the Craft Contingent Spell feat (see Chapter 3: Regions
and Feats) to create contingent spells.
Triggers for contingent spells are usually things that
happen to the bearer of the spell. Possible triggers include becoming
helpless, blind, or deaf; death; disease; exposure to a
breath weapon or to energy; falling; poison; proximity to
danger (such as fire, water, and so on); sleep; and gaining negative
levels.
The market price of a contingent spell is spell level × caster
level × 100 gp. A contingent spell must be crafted in the presence
of the person to bear it, and the bearer is treated as a participant
in the creation of the item (he cannot cast any other
spells while the contingent spell is being crafted, must be present
for 8 hours each day, and so on). Once assigned to a bearer,
a contingent spell cannot be transferred to another creature, although
it can be destroyed (see below). An unwilling recipient