Pyromancy as a Power

Pyromancy is the magic of fire -- one of the true classics in the wizardly arsenal. From Gandalf to Harry Dresden, wizards have thrown fire around as their primary weapon. This power is not an comprehensive power over all aspects of magic related to fire, but is limited to the art of throwing fire around and shaping it, with some ability to resist it.  This is a very combat oriented ability. Its also famous for getting out of control. Check page 433 of the basic set for rules on setting things on fire. You'll need it when dealing with pyromancers.
Pyromancy doesn't include transforming into flame, granting others fire-oriented powers, or other parts of the 'expanded' set of fire magic. Their ability to defend against flame is largely indirect. While they can't grant others protection from fire and many of them remain vulnerable to getting their hair singed, they can safely block incoming fire attacks from rival pyromancers and their control (flame) ability provides a great deal of protection even in the midst of conflagrations

All abilities use multiplicative modifiers, which I recommend when using powers extensively.

Using the Power:

The amount of damage given by most of these attacks is actually fairly low, all things considered. This is because high levels of fire damage don't end up looking like classic magical fire attacks -- unless you count the scenes where attacks leave blacked skeletons behind. The limits given on the abilities reflect the limited nature of pre-industrial fire, and keep Pyromancers working with recognizable fire.

With such a large (if similar) number of abilities in the power, Pyromancy is a natural place to use the rules for power stunts (Gurps: Powers 170-174).  Temporary Enhancements deserves special attention. While I give recommend damage limits,  spending FP or ER to exceed them as part of a stunt is appropriate -- though the GM is entirely within his rights to charge an extra 2 energy on top of pulling a stunt for exceeding normal limits! The controlling skill for stunts in Thaumatology (Pyromancy).

90% of the abilities here use two advantages, control and innate attack. They are presented as alternate abilities because of the wide variety of things that they do, and to encourage players to use the power stunts rules.


Most of a pyromancer's powers should be bought as alternate attacks and alternate abilities. This does not mean that the pyromancer should only have one ability on at a time. Two nickles give you a dime, and switching out Control Flame 2 (36 points) can allow a pyromancer to have resist flame, conjure flame, and handle flame all on at the same time: they only cost 33 points all together! This should be standard behavior for a pyromancer. It should be noted that while alternate attacks and alternate abilities are similar, they do not have identical rules! Attacks do not take a maneuver to switch between, while abilities do -- which means that in combat the most important division is not which attacks are on, but how many points are in attacks. Summon Smoke and the Abilities base on innate attack are considered attacks.

The Power:

Pyromancer is a standard magical power, which follows the rules of other magic systems in a given campaign. Its power modifier is given here as -10%.

Abilities:

Abilities will be formatted as below:
Ability Name (Controlling skill): build of ability [cost] 
Description of ability

Control Flame (shape fire): Control  (Fire) (pyromancy -10%) [18/level]
Control All Flame (shape fire): Control (Fire) (Collective +100%, pyromancy -10%)[36/level]
Reshape Flame (shape fire): Control (Fire, persistent+40%, Extended Duration x30, 5 minutes +60%, pyromancy -10%) [36/level] 
Control Smoke (shape fire): Control (smoke) (pyromancy -10%) [9]
Control All Smoke(shape fire): Control (smoke) (Collective +100%, pyromancy -10%)[18/level]
Reshape Smoke(shape fire): Control (smoke, persistent+40%, Extended Duration x30, 5 minutes +60%, pyromancy -10%) [18/level]
 The ability to shape and control smoke and fire is expensive, but useful, and should be bought at at least basic levels by all pyromancers-- usually as alternate abilities.

Summon Smoke (shape fire): Obscure  5 (4 yard radius+50%, ranged+40%, pyromancy -10%) [18]
Conjuring up smoke is easy enough for a pyromancer, if more subtle than their typical tactics. Changes usually involve increasing the radius to yield more smoke, increasing range to hit a distant target, or varying the density of the smoke. A common variation is to conjure the smoke nearby to increase power. The ability should not exceed a range of 400 yards and a radius of 16 yards.

Resist Flame DR 6  (only vs Burning -20%, only vs Fire -40%) [9]
Resist Flame has no cap on its value given, but the damage it protects against is typically not terribly high -- even flame bolt rarely does more than 18 points of damage. Many mages neglect this ability in favor of methods that can be used offensively and can protect their fellows as well as themselves. It is also inappropriate for some settings.

Innate Attacks:

Ball of Fire (projectile): 2d Burning  (2 yard radius +50%, pyromancy -10%) [14]
This is the pyromancer's most basic attack: a ball of fire that wells up upon hitting its target. This, not flame bolt, is the classic go-to attack. Its notable both for its range (100 yards at base) and its area of effect: dodging a direct hit requires a two yard step, and targeting a hex gives a +4 to hit. Upgrades to this ability usually fall into adding more half range, more range (max 400 yards), more area (max 16 yard radius), more accuracy (max 6), or persistence. weaker versions include doing less damage and doing it over a smaller area (1 yard radius+25%)

Conjure Fire (shape fire): 1d Burning (4 yard radius+100%, emanation -20%, selective+20%, persistent+40%, extended duration x30 -- 5 minutes +60%, Overhead+30%, pyromancy -10%)[13]
At close range, a many pyromancers can simply call flames into being. With selective area, a Pyromancer can engulf the entire area in flames, but most choose to just light up individual targets. Intervening objects are not an issue -- its entirely possible to fill nooks and crannies with fire this way. The selective covers area, not targets -- leaving a safe spot for an ally often means letting an enemy more out of the way. Upgrading the area on this ability is quite common (max 100 yards), as is increasing duration (no permanent). Upgrading damage to 2d is appropriate for powerful pyromancers.

Flame Bolt (projectile): 3d Burning (incendiary+10%, not tight beam+0%, pyromancy -10%) [15]
When the pyromancer wants to light something on fire (when would that happen), the flame bolt is the weapon of choice. A small glob of fire about the size of a fist that merely ignites targets rather than enveloping them in flame, the flame bolt is a useful weapon for pyromancers with a good sense of aim, the need to be precise, or a desire to start self-sustaining fires. Upgrades include accuracy (max 6), Damage (max 5d), extending half range, and extending range (max 400 yards)

Handle Fire (handle Fire) 2d Burning (melee 1-4 -15%,  not parried by physical weapons +25%, multi-attack +10%,pyromancy -10%) [11]
This ability represents Pyromancer's ability to work with fire at close quarters. It is most notable for its ability to stop incoming magical attacks. A fireball that would otherwise engulf an entire squad of men can be stopped and stifled by a pyromancer handling fire.  Handle Fire can even block conjure fire around the mage. While the attack doesn't provide the mage with an active defense, the extreme range means he can attack while constantly retreating, and the situation cuts both ways: melee fighters can't block the incoming attacks. This ability is usually only changed by adjusting damage up or down. If adjusted to under 1d, blocking attacks based on  15 points or more fails on a 2 in 6 chance, unless blocking only part of the attack.
Flame Wreath (automatic) 1d Burning (Aura +80%, Melee (Close)-30%, pyromancy -10%, area effect 1 yard +25% ) [7]
This is usually the result of a pyromancer showing off, but it does have its uses. The pyromancer is wreathed in flames, dealing damage to those who come too close. This ability tends to set lots and lots of things on fire. Many pyromancers use it to set fire to lots of things quickly. Other merely use it to keep others away. The two most common upgrades are increased damage (maximum 2d) and increased range (maximum 4 yards).

Fire Stream (handle Fire) 2d Burning (Jet+0%, pyromancy -10%) [9]
A simple but effective attack, fire stream lacks the blocking power of handle fire, but makes up for that with range. Fire stream occasionally had its ranged doubled or its damaged increased to 3d.

Flaming Weapon  (as weapon) 1d Burning (melee(varies) -20%, linked +20%,  pyromancy -10%) [5]
No list of fire-based attacks is complete without the old trick of surrounding your weapon with flames. This one ability covers all melee weapons, regardless of reach. Damage is often upgraded (max 3d), and 2d is probably the true 'standard' level it is used at.

Fire Wall (shape fire): 1d Burning (area effect +100%, Persistent +40%, shaped permeable Wall +60%, x 30 duration 5 minutes +60%, overhead +30%, short range 1/5 -20%, Pyromancy -10%) [13]
The ability given here gives 6 yards of shaped wall. Unlike conjure fire, the wall does full damage to anyone passing through it even for a moment, hopefully lighting at least some of their clothes on fire. The most common upgrade is more wall. its also quite common to raise damage (maximum 2d).

Devilish Fire (projectile): 2d6 Burning (incendiary 1 +10%, not tight beam+0%, short range x1/10 -30%, All out -25%,,  Persistent+40%, x30 duration 5 minutes +60%, pyromancy -10%) [11]
Starts a nasty fire with the habit of spreading. Devilish fire not only is better at lighting the initial target on fire, but other targets as well. This advantage is not suitable for all games.

Light Fire (projectile): 6d Burning (incendiary 2 +20%, not tight beam+0%, short range x1/10 -30%, All out -25%, Takes extra time, 2 seconds total -10%, pyromancy -10%) [9]
While built as an innate attack, Light Fire is less of a weapon and more of a tool, designed to set fire to just about anything. The time and concentration required yeild good results though. It has the incendiary modifier applied to it twice, meaning that all items should be reduced by two flammability classes. As is also not treated as a tight beam attack, which means just about everything lights on fire -- including stone. Items that can't sustain a fire will go out momentarily. This is a powerful tool, and GM's should consider if they want stone to burn. GM's who wish for more modest  fire-starting abilities should point potential pyros at flame bolt. GM's who wish to see essential flame in all its glory are dared to combine this ability with Devilish Fire. The writer of this article takes no liability for any stone structures that burn into a pile of ash as a result of this.

New Modifiers:

Not parried by physical weapons: (+25%)
Your attack is not solid, and cannot be stopped by a narrow object like a sword. It is still effected by DR and can be blocked with a wide object like a shield. Your weapon can not parry physical weapons itself, but can parry and be parried by attacks like itself.
This ability was priced with the consideration that adding ranged (+40%) to an ability makes it unable to be parried without specific skills, as well as adding other statistics. +10% or even making it a feature may even be balanced, but I decided to play it safe.

1 yard radius (+25%)
sometimes you don't full 2 yards of extra area. I didn't put too much thought into this one, but I think its completely reasonable, and it only appears on downgrades rather than upgrades

Skills:

Shape Fire IQ/A
Shape Fire allows a pyromancer to do delicate things with fire at range. Typical tasks include forming fire into a ring in the air, instantly conjuring it in a specific location, channeling a chaotic series of blazes into an orderly shape, and so forth.
Projectile DX/E
The full name is Innate Attack (Projectile).  
Handle Fire DX/E
Handle Fire is properly an alternative version of brawling. Its used to control fire quickly at close range, most often in combat.
Thaumatology (pyromancy) IQ/H
a specialty of Thaumatology, Its primary use is pulling off pyromancy power stunts. Its also used as a general 'theory' skill about the art of Pyromancy.

Wrap Up:

Pyromancy was designed to work in a setting that features many types of fairly specialized mages who, like the pyromancers, focus more on the brute force aspect of magic than on its 'do anything' nature. This isn't the only way it can be used though. I also recommend pyromancy for anyone who wants to learn the power stunts section of Gurps: Powers. Pyromancy includes many simple and obvious applications of it without having a lot of complicated iffy edge cases.

Now try not to burn anything down. on accident. Legal notices mumbled here...