Faction Friday: The Blue Flame (War Mages)

RPG faction

I've been creating factions out of each class in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Today we reach the final class, the wizard, where our options are severely limited. There's only one sub-class, the war mage. So let's do that!

If you're raising an army and need an edge, call on the Blue Flame. A rising name in the mercenary trade, this tight-knit group of mages have taught themselves combat-oriented magic, and integrate themselves well into existing armies. Their spells invigorate and revitalize those around them, and they can cast destructive spells covering wide areas.

Their aid comes at a high price, and they never commit themselves to any given faction for more than six months: just long enough to achieve some significant victory. The group then disappears for some time before re-appearing in the ranks of another army; perhaps one they fought against before. Their effectiveness -- and the rarity of their losing a member in battle -- ensures that their enemies will often swallow their pride and hire them.

Rise of the Battlemage by Maximko

As a friendly faction, the Blue Flame follow a creed devoted to ending war. As they see it, the best way to do so is to end each conflict as quickly as possible, so they hire themselves out to whomever is most likely to win. While not campaigning, they disperse throughout the lands secretly, searching for conflicts where they can do the most good.

As a foe faction, the Blue Flame are simply mercenary thugs. Highly skilled mercenary thugs, but brutes nonetheless. Between campaigns they dissipate to spend their earnings doing unspeakable things in dens of iniquity throughout the lands. Unfortunately, their skill and numbers make them difficult to destroy, and those who've tried with targeted assassinations have found themselves hunted mercilessly by the remainder of the group.

Plot hooks:

  • (Friend) A member of the Blue Flame approaches the party, offering a decent sum to infiltrate the court of the nearest noble and return with information. The noble is apparently on the brink of war with
  • (Foe) The head of the Watch in a large city approaches the party. Darian, a member of the notorious Blue Flame, has been spotted frequenting a gambling den that supposedly operates an illegal slave fighting ring. The PCs are asked to tail Darian, verify the existence of the fighting ring, and report back to the Watch. Unfortunately, if they do this in such a way that Darian can identify any of them later, they're in for a world of pain!

View the art for this faction here

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