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Finnot's Book

This book is an amalgam of hand-written, but expansive research notes in an untidy scrawl, with numerous strike-throughs, marginal annotations, and poorly-drawn sketches and diagrams of infernal creatures. The book mostly focuses on the writer's original research--"Finnot's Path" or "The Brimstone Path", as he occasionally refers to it. The full intent of the path can be derived from a thorough reading, such that an interested mage might be able to complete the author's work, though only three of the spells are included in full detail, each of them unique.

The book also contains details of the caster's attempt to open a permanent gate to the lower planes. The notes seem reasonably complete, and the experiment and rituals described could be (relatively) easily replicated. The notes end abruptly with a reference to "inscribing the last sigil today..."

Finnot's Path (A.k.a. the Path of Brimstone)

• 1st: Aura Fire, Avoid Planar Effects*, Finnot's Spinagon Strike†
• 2nd: Corruption, Finnot's Unholy Imbuement†, Pyrotechnics
• 3rd: Breath Smoke and Ash*, Finnot's Shambling Menace†, Maladweomer
• 4th: Baatezu Bane*, Fire Gate
• 5th: Death Smoke, Fiendform
• 6th: Cubehopper*, Spiritwrack
• 7th: Cacofiend
• 8th: Incendiary Cloud
• 9th: Gate

† Indicates a new spell described below.

* The spells Avoid Planar Effects, Breath Smoke and Ash, Baatezu Bane, and Cubehopper appear in the AD&D 2nd Edition Planewalker's Handbook. All other spells appear in the Wizard's Spell Compendium.

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Finnot's Unique Spells

Finnot's Spinagon Strike

(Alteration, Conjuration)

• Level: 1st
• Range: special
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: 1 round per level
• Casting Time: 1
• Area of Effect: caster
• Saving Throw: N/A

This spell causes small spikes and spines protrude from the caster's body. In combat the caster can launch up to two of these spikes per round. The spikes burst into flame when launched, causing flammable materials to ignite on contact. For purposes of range and damage, treat the spikes as darts. In addition, if the caster uses overbearing or grappling attacks while the spell is in effect, he deals additional damage as if he were wearing spiked armor.

The material component for this spell is a spike willingly given by a living spinagon. Note that a spike fired at the caster counts as having been willingly given up by the spinagon.

Finnot's Unholy Imbuement

(Alteration, Conjuration)

• Level: 2nd
• Range: 0
• Components: V, S, M 
• Duration: permanent
• Casting Time: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 flask of water
• Saving Throw: N/A

By means of this spell, the caster opens a small portal to the infernal realms and draws off the smallest fragment of their energies, imbuing that power into a flask of water. The energies released by this spell are highly unstable, dealing 1d4 points of damage to the caster (this damage cannot disrupt the spellcasting). At the end of the casting time, the water becomes imbued with infernal powers--it functions for all purposes as a flask of Unholy Water. In addition, if consumed by a creature native to the lower planes, the water heals the subject of 1d6+1 points of damage and allows the subject to ignore the hedging effects of a protection from evil spell for 1 round per level of the caster.

The material components for this spell are the flask of water to be affected, one drop of the caster's blood, and a pinch of sulfur.

Finnot's Shambling Menace

(Conjuration)

• Level: 3rd
• Range: 5 yds.
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: 1 round per level
• Casting Time: 7
• Area of Effect: special
• Saving Throw: N/A

This highly-dangerous spell opens a one-way, temporary gate to the plane of Baator. The gate appears as a shimmering door made of black smoke in front of the caster and facing away from him. Each round, starting the round after the spell is cast, one Lemure (least baatezu) shambles forth from the gate. The caster has no control over lemures summoned in this way, and the lemures act on their own (very limited) volition--which typically means stalking mindlessly forward and clawing the first thing within reach. Once summoned the lemures remain permanently, until destroyed or banished (potentially leaving the caster with quite a mess to deal with once whatever they were summoned for is complete).

The material components for this spell are a candle made from human fat, a handful of dried belladonna leaves, and a small, live bird (to be sacrificed at the end of the casting).