Ashen Steed (Chant)

Sidebar Heart of the Forge This chant captures and forms the forge's smoke into a magical steed. The caster(s) must prepare a smoking fire source to create a plume of smoke, which is then captured in a bottle or other sealable vessel. This vessel must be opened within 24 hours per effective level of the chanting group.

When the vessel is opened, the smoke pours out and forms a smoky steed, which takes a form depending on the caster's effective level. The type of steed depends on the level of the caster:

Caster Level | Steed -------------+------------- 1-3 | Pony 4-6 | Donkey 7-9 | Giant Lizard 10-12 | Smoke Wyvern

Each form has an AC of 5 and 7 hp plus 1 hp per level of the caster. If an ashen steed ever loses all its hit points, it disappears. The smoke wyvern flies at a speed of 24, and the smoke dragon flies at 36. None of the ashen steed creatures can attack, and none has any special abilities; the wyvern cannot sting and the dragon cannot employ a breath weapon. The pony and donkey can carry only the holder of the bottle, but the lizard, wyvern, and dragon can carry a number of additional creatures equal to the number of chanting smiths and priests who help cast the chant. Once it arrives, the ashen steed lasts for a full day or until dispelled.

The material component for ashen steed chants vary, but all include a stone vessel inscribed with the chants runes. In addition, the chant requires a pony's shoe, a donkey's halter, a giant lizard scale, a wyvern's stinger, or a dragon's scale.