A Pristatic is a creature native to the phlogiston in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]
Overview[]
Pristatics appear to be spheres of swirling colors that usually can only be found floating in the rainbow sea.[1]
Description[]
An actual pristatic resembles a small gnome-like humanoid and is usually enveloped by an opaque orb of shimmering, multicolored light similar to a prismatic sphere. When bereft of its sphere, a pristatic can be seen floating in the phlogiston with its legs and arms crossed, and a look of intense concentration on its face.[1]
Behavior[]
Because they are unable to spelljam, pristatics are at the mercy of the currents of the Flow. They basically float along wherever the rainbow stream takes them, consuming the innate magic of the phlogiston, If brought into a crystal sphere, a pristatic's life force fades rapidly, and it dies within a day after leaving the phlogiston. Curative magic doesn't help the pristatic, although placing it inside a spellcaster's prismatic sphere prolongs its life for 24 hours. Similarly, if a dying pristatic returns to the phlogiston before the 24 hours are up, it returns to health in the same amount of time that it was away from the phlogiston.
Pristatics are good observers, and if spacefarers take the time to converse with them, they may be induced to remember the type and bearing of all ships that have passed within about the last month. However, pristatics have no way of measuring the passage of time, making their recollections less helpful.[1]
Combat[]
Pristatics avoid combat if they can. Although a pristatic has the innate ability to activate the magical power inherent to their personal prismatic spheres, they can only do so once a day for up to two hours at the most. For this reason, pristatics are willing to endure some injury before resorting to this, their only means of defense.
A pristatic's colorful sphere remains visible even when not fully activated. There is no way to detect whether the prismatic sphere effects are currently active. Detect magic always registers the area as magical, since it is composed of the ambient magical forces of the phlogiston.
In contrast to the prismatic sphere spell, a pristatic can activate some or all of its sphere's layers. For example, the pristatic can invoke the orange, indigo and violet effects, leaving out the other colors. The pristatic selects these effects to inflict the least harm on its opponents. Only when near death does a pristatic erect all layers against its attackers.[1]
A pristatic's prismatic sphere is an opaque globe of shimmering, multicolored light which provides protection from all forms of attack. Although the sphere flashes with all the rainbow colors found in the Flow, only seven have distinct powers and purposes:[2]
- The Red layer stops all non-magical missiles and inflicts significant damage on any creature trying to pass through the sphere.
- The Orange layer stops all magical missiles and inflicts twice as much damage as the red layer.
- The Yellow layer stops all gases, poisons and petrification effects and inficts four times as much damage as the red layer.
- The Green layer stops breath weapons from penetrating the sphere and fatally poisons anyone trying to pass through the layer.
- The Blue layer prevents location/detection magic and mental attacks from affecting the pristatic, and turns anyone trying to pass through the layer to stone.
- The Indigo layer prevents all spells from affecting the pristatic and drives anyone trying to pass through the layer insane.
- The Violet layer is functionally a force field and sends anyone trying to pass through the layer to a random plane of existence.
Society[]
Pristatics are solitary beings and prefer the vastness of the phlogiston over the company of others.[1]
Rumors[]
A long-standing legend maintains that pristatics were created when a wizard attempted to alter the prismatic sphere spell by combining it with a teleport spell (in order to drop a sphere into the middle of a group). Unfortunately his assistant, a young gnome, tripped and bolluxed the experiment, disappearing in the process. A more reasonable conjecture is that the pristatics are native to the phlogiston and may be the key to unknown secrets of magic.[1]
Appendix[]
External Links[]
- Pristatic article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.