The Stormseeker - A Cairn Background

09 Feb, 2025

Reading this excellent post from Prismatic Wasteland about the problems of weather magic in D&D rekindled an old idea for me of a weather-obsessed divination wizard.

This is an idea that doesn’t really work in D&D proper, as weather prediction is trivialized and also tied to nature-based magic rather than a knowledge focus like I’m thinking of (e.g., AD&D 1e’s Predict Weather spell). However, I realized the lower magic setting of Cairn might actually be perfect for this concept. Since I’d already been meaning to try making a Cairn 2e background, I’ve decided to give it a go here.

Probably not perfect at the moment, but I’ll update if I figure out how to do it better.

As a forewarning to historical pedants (like myself) while I did some limited research into the history of weather instruments, I ultimately decided the timeline could be shuffled a bit in Cairn and just gave the background some useful weather tools.

The Stormseeker

You watch the clouds and feel the wind for the slightest sign of an oncoming storm. Step by step you bring predictably to the capricious destruction of the weather.

Take:

• 3d6 Gold
• Rations (3 Uses)
• Lantern
• Oil Can (6 Uses)
• Walking Staff (d6)
• Anemometer
• Spyglass
• Barometer

What Drove You To Chase Storms?

1. You survived a lightning strike. Take a luminous fulgurite (3 charges). It glows with a light equivalent to a torch for up to 8 hours on a charge if rubbed or until extinguished by rubbing again. Recharge: Expose to the rain of a thunderstorm for at least 30 minutes.

2. Your village was washed away in a flash flood after heavy rain. You are abnormally good at quickly making rafts of whatever materials are available.

3. You watched a wizard catch a storm in a bag. Take a Gale Pouch (1 charge). It releases the full force of a hour-long windstorm in 5 minutes in whatever direction the opening is pointed when opened. Recharge: Hold the bag open in the face of a windstorm until it passes.

4. You were caught up in a gust while flying a kite as a child. Take a Travel Kite. If there is sufficient wind, you can float for up to 10 minutes holding onto the kite string. STR or DEX save for every 10 minutes after the first. ¹

5. A tornado destroyed your childhood home. You are always aware of the closest place to shelter safely and ready to dive into it at a moment’s notice.

6. You were trapped in a mountain pass by a blizzard for weeks before hiking out. You take no penalties for traveling through deep snow and are adept at making warm shelters in cold places.

What Tool Helps You Most In Your Studies?

1. An Anchor spellbook helps you hold fast in strong winds.

2. Clearsight Goggles (3 charges) give you magical visibility in heavy rain, fog, and other obstructions for 1 hour on a charge. Recharge: Submerge in a bucket of fresh rainwater overnight.

3. A Scry spellbook gives you animal spies on faraway weather. Birds are most useful.

4. An indestructible scroll keeps your notes safe in all weather. 3 ft. square of enchanted parchment can hold a lot of notes but won’t last forever. Write small.

5. A swarm spellbook lets you check on the weather in many directions at once. Flying insects are a favorite.

6. An all-seeing eye (3 charges) provides telepathic vision in a normal field of view of wherever it is placed for up to 24 hours on a charge with a range of 100 miles. Recharge: Keep the eye in total darkness for one week. Any amount of light exposure restarts the recharge time.

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