I'm just starting a new campaign in a setting that is heavily inspired by Narnia. I found the scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe about Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time particularly evocative, so I decided to try homebrewing my first subclass for one of my players.
It's still very rough around the edges (particularly the invocations), but I'd love to hear any feedback or critiques!
Wizard Subclass - Deep Magic
Practitioners of deep magic seek to understand the primordial origins of magical power. Whether invoking ancient enchantments from before the dawn of time, speaking the true names of elemental forces, or binding the hidden spirits within everyday objects to their will, deep magicians use their understanding of the fundamental laws of the supernatural to empower their allies and abjure their enemies.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
Deep Magic Invocations
When an ally you can see within X feet of you is targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can use your reaction to redirect that spell to yourself.
When you are targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can choose to roll the saving throw with disadvantage. If you do, when you next force a creature to make a saving throw, you can force it to roll with disadvantage.
When you or an ally you can see within X feet of you becomes blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, you may use your reaction to choose a creature you can see within X feet of you. That creature must succeed on a saving throw against your spell save DC or become afflicted with the same condition.
You may cast a spell without using somatic components or material components worth less than 1000gp. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
You become proficient in History and Arcana. If you are already proficient, double your proficiency bonus. You may only choose this invocation once.
You know detect magic and can cast it as a free action without using a spell slot. It doesn’t count against your spells known.
Greater Dispel Magic
Starting at 6th level, you use your knowledge of the fundamental components of spellcraft to unravel the magical effects created by your foes. When you make an ability check to end a spell effect using dispel magic or counterspell, you roll with advantage.
Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time
Beginning at 10th level, you have learned more of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
The Unblinking Eye
At 14th level, your understanding of the magic of the universe is so complete that you are able to see the absolute truth of the world. You gain truesight up to 70 feet, allowing you to see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the true form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic.
Reworked and expanded a bunch of the invocations and added some flavorful names. Also moved the arcana/history proficiency to its own 2nd level feature and depowered it slightly.
Ancient Secrets
At 2nd level, your study of primordial magic has given you a deeper understanding of the arcane. You gain proficiencies in arcana and history.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
Law of Absolutism
You may cast a spell without using somatic and material components. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Balance
When you are targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can choose to roll the saving throw with disadvantage. If you do, when you next force a creature to make a saving throw, you can force it to roll with disadvantage.
Law of Inquisition
You know detect magic and can cast it at will without using a spell slot. It doesn’t count against your spells known.
Law of Reflection
When you or an ally you can see within 60 feet becomes blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, you may use your reaction to choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. That creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become afflicted with the same condition.
Law of Repose
At the start of your turn, you may choose to ignore the effects of the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and stunned conditions. If you do so, you take 1d12 force damage for each condition ignored at the end of your turn, and you may not make saving throws to recover from the ignored conditions until the start of your next turn. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Retaliation
As a bonus action, you choose an enemy you can see within 100 feet. The next time the chosen enemy takes damage from a spell this turn, they take an additional 2d8 force damage if you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. The extra force damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 10th level (3d8) and 14th level (4d8) in this class.
Law of Sacrifice
When an ally you can see within 60 feet is targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can use your reaction to redirect that spell to yourself.
Law of Repose, on an unlucky roll, could kill an average 2nd level wizard ignoring a single condition. Overall the ability seems like it would be a cool and flavorful ability for someone who was a frontline fighter, but for a wizard it seems a bit out of place.
I like the flavor of most of the Deep Magic Invocations, but if I were you I'd just stick to calling them Laws instead. There are already Invocations in the game, and having the same name for something across two different caster classes would get confusing.
It feels like this subclass is headed towards stepping on sorcerer's toes a lot. Ignoring components (subtle spell), forcing disadvantage (even if different, is still close to empowered spell), especially feel this way.
Wizards can already cast detect magic at will via ritual casting. If you want it to be different or quicker that's cool, but it doesn't add much to the class.
I really like the idea of utilizing conditions that you have with the Laws of Reflection, Repose, and Retaliation. I think if you could take and expand on that it would make for a class that feels more unique, and potentially even thematic towards what you want to do.
These are all just what I noticed and wanted to point out when reading through. I like the idea, and would like to see it expanded more, but just be careful about the above listed things. Or don't, I'm just a commenter and it's your subclass after all.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Law of Repose, on an unlucky roll, could kill an average 2nd level wizard ignoring a single condition. Overall the ability seems like it would be a cool and flavorful ability for someone who was a frontline fighter, but for a wizard it seems a bit out of place.
Fair enough, I had actually just been thinking about tweaking this so that instead of taking damage for ignoring conditions, you would instead take levels of exhaustion equal to the number of ignored conditions. I feel like exhaustion could also scale better at higher levels.
I like the flavor of most of the Deep Magic Invocations, but if I were you I'd just stick to calling them Laws instead. There are already Invocations in the game, and having the same name for something across two different caster classes would get confusing.
Yeah, this is a very good point. That's an easy improvement to make.
Wizards can already cast detect magic at will via ritual casting. If you want it to be different or quicker that's cool, but it doesn't add much to the class.
This is what happens when you make a homebrew for a class that you haven't played very much -- definitely redundant and should be changed.
It feels like this subclass is headed towards stepping on sorcerer's toes a lot. Ignoring components (subtle spell), forcing disadvantage (even if different, is still close to empowered spell), especially feel this way.
I really like the idea of utilizing conditions that you have with the Laws of Reflection, Repose, and Retaliation. I think if you could take and expand on that it would make for a class that feels more unique, and potentially even thematic towards what you want to do.
100% -- I was calling this class What If A Wizard Was A Sorcerer in my head a lot. Agreed that what makes the subclass unique is the way that conditions are utilized almost as a resource. My initial tweaks were focused around building more towards that idea and I think I could push even further towards that. I had wanted to provide some utility options here, but maybe this wizard should rely on their spell choices for utility and the class features can be more focused. I think once I make another round of tweaks I'll revisit the overlaps with sorcerer and see if they fit in well enough with the other choices to merit inclusion or not.
These are all just what I noticed and wanted to point out when reading through. I like the idea, and would like to see it expanded more, but just be careful about the above listed things. Or don't, I'm just a commenter and it's your subclass after all.
Aw shucks, thanks! I truly appreciate you taking the time to give feedback, it's great to get another perspective on this.
Updated subclass with new tweaks, mostly to the invocations (now called Covenants). First session will be this weekend, so this will be the final version for the time being I think!
Practitioners of deep magic seek to understand the primordial origins of magical power. Whether invoking ancient enchantments from before the dawn of time, speaking the true names of elemental forces, or binding the hidden spirits within everyday objects to their will, deep magicians use their understanding of the fundamental laws of the supernatural to empower their allies and abjure their enemies.
Ancient Secrets
At 2nd level, your study of primordial magic has given you a deeper understanding of the arcane. You gain proficiencies in arcana and history.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You learn two Deep Magic Covenants of your choice.
Law of Absolutes
As a bonus action, you speak an ancient word of power. For 1 minute, the next spell you cast does not require somatic and material components. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. When you reach 10th level in this class, you have additional resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. When you reach 14th level in this class, you have resistance to all damage types.
Law of Reflection
When you or an ally you can see within 60 feet becomes blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, you may use your reaction to choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. That creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become afflicted with the same condition.
Law of Repose
At the start of your turn, you may choose to ignore the effects of the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and stunned conditions. You gain 1 level of exhaustion for each ignored condition, and you may not make saving throws to recover from the ignored conditions until the start of your next turn. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Retaliation
As a bonus action, you choose an enemy you can see within 100 feet. The next time the chosen enemy takes damage from a spell this turn, they take an additional 2d8 force damage if you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. The extra force damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 10th level (3d8) and 14th level (4d8) in this class. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Law of Sacrifice
When an ally you can see within 60 feet is targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can use your reaction to redirect that spell to yourself.
Greater Dispel Magic
Starting at 6th level, you use your knowledge of the fundamental components of spellcraft to unravel the magical effects created by your foes. When you make an ability check to end a spell effect using dispel magic or counterspell, you roll with advantage.
Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time
Beginning at 10th level, you have learned more of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You learn two Deep Magic Covenants of your choice.
The Unblinking Eye
At 14th level, your understanding of the magic of the universe is so complete that you are able to see the absolute truth of the world. You gain truesight up to 70 feet, allowing you to see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the true form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic.
Hey all!
I'm just starting a new campaign in a setting that is heavily inspired by Narnia. I found the scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe about Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time particularly evocative, so I decided to try homebrewing my first subclass for one of my players.
It's still very rough around the edges (particularly the invocations), but I'd love to hear any feedback or critiques!
Wizard Subclass - Deep Magic
Practitioners of deep magic seek to understand the primordial origins of magical power. Whether invoking ancient enchantments from before the dawn of time, speaking the true names of elemental forces, or binding the hidden spirits within everyday objects to their will, deep magicians use their understanding of the fundamental laws of the supernatural to empower their allies and abjure their enemies.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
Deep Magic Invocations
Greater Dispel Magic
Starting at 6th level, you use your knowledge of the fundamental components of spellcraft to unravel the magical effects created by your foes. When you make an ability check to end a spell effect using dispel magic or counterspell, you roll with advantage.
Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time
Beginning at 10th level, you have learned more of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
The Unblinking Eye
At 14th level, your understanding of the magic of the universe is so complete that you are able to see the absolute truth of the world. You gain truesight up to 70 feet, allowing you to see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the true form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic.
Reworked and expanded a bunch of the invocations and added some flavorful names. Also moved the arcana/history proficiency to its own 2nd level feature and depowered it slightly.
Ancient Secrets
At 2nd level, your study of primordial magic has given you a deeper understanding of the arcane. You gain proficiencies in arcana and history.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You gain two Deep Magic Invocations of your choice.
Law of Absolutism
You may cast a spell without using somatic and material components. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Balance
When you are targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can choose to roll the saving throw with disadvantage. If you do, when you next force a creature to make a saving throw, you can force it to roll with disadvantage.
Law of Inquisition
You know detect magic and can cast it at will without using a spell slot. It doesn’t count against your spells known.
Law of Reflection
When you or an ally you can see within 60 feet becomes blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, you may use your reaction to choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. That creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become afflicted with the same condition.
Law of Repose
At the start of your turn, you may choose to ignore the effects of the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and stunned conditions. If you do so, you take 1d12 force damage for each condition ignored at the end of your turn, and you may not make saving throws to recover from the ignored conditions until the start of your next turn. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Retaliation
As a bonus action, you choose an enemy you can see within 100 feet. The next time the chosen enemy takes damage from a spell this turn, they take an additional 2d8 force damage if you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. The extra force damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 10th level (3d8) and 14th level (4d8) in this class.
Law of Sacrifice
When an ally you can see within 60 feet is targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can use your reaction to redirect that spell to yourself.
These are all just what I noticed and wanted to point out when reading through. I like the idea, and would like to see it expanded more, but just be careful about the above listed things. Or don't, I'm just a commenter and it's your subclass after all.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Thanks for the feedback!
Fair enough, I had actually just been thinking about tweaking this so that instead of taking damage for ignoring conditions, you would instead take levels of exhaustion equal to the number of ignored conditions. I feel like exhaustion could also scale better at higher levels.
Yeah, this is a very good point. That's an easy improvement to make.
This is what happens when you make a homebrew for a class that you haven't played very much -- definitely redundant and should be changed.
100% -- I was calling this class What If A Wizard Was A Sorcerer in my head a lot. Agreed that what makes the subclass unique is the way that conditions are utilized almost as a resource. My initial tweaks were focused around building more towards that idea and I think I could push even further towards that. I had wanted to provide some utility options here, but maybe this wizard should rely on their spell choices for utility and the class features can be more focused. I think once I make another round of tweaks I'll revisit the overlaps with sorcerer and see if they fit in well enough with the other choices to merit inclusion or not.
Aw shucks, thanks! I truly appreciate you taking the time to give feedback, it's great to get another perspective on this.
Updated subclass with new tweaks, mostly to the invocations (now called Covenants). First session will be this weekend, so this will be the final version for the time being I think!
Practitioners of deep magic seek to understand the primordial origins of magical power. Whether invoking ancient enchantments from before the dawn of time, speaking the true names of elemental forces, or binding the hidden spirits within everyday objects to their will, deep magicians use their understanding of the fundamental laws of the supernatural to empower their allies and abjure their enemies.
Ancient Secrets
At 2nd level, your study of primordial magic has given you a deeper understanding of the arcane. You gain proficiencies in arcana and history.
Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time
At 2nd level, you have learned some of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You learn two Deep Magic Covenants of your choice.
Law of Absolutes
As a bonus action, you speak an ancient word of power. For 1 minute, the next spell you cast does not require somatic and material components. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Deliberation
While you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, all saving throws you make are Intelligence saving throws.
Law of Enduring
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. When you reach 10th level in this class, you have additional resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. When you reach 14th level in this class, you have resistance to all damage types.
Law of Reflection
When you or an ally you can see within 60 feet becomes blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned, you may use your reaction to choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. That creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become afflicted with the same condition.
Law of Repose
At the start of your turn, you may choose to ignore the effects of the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and stunned conditions. You gain 1 level of exhaustion for each ignored condition, and you may not make saving throws to recover from the ignored conditions until the start of your next turn. When you use this feature, you may not use it again until after finishing a long rest.
Law of Retaliation
As a bonus action, you choose an enemy you can see within 100 feet. The next time the chosen enemy takes damage from a spell this turn, they take an additional 2d8 force damage if you are blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned. The extra force damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 10th level (3d8) and 14th level (4d8) in this class. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Law of Sacrifice
When an ally you can see within 60 feet is targeted by a spell that prompts a saving throw, you can use your reaction to redirect that spell to yourself.
Greater Dispel Magic
Starting at 6th level, you use your knowledge of the fundamental components of spellcraft to unravel the magical effects created by your foes. When you make an ability check to end a spell effect using dispel magic or counterspell, you roll with advantage.
Deeper Magic from Before the Dawn of Time
Beginning at 10th level, you have learned more of the secret laws of magic that were written into the world as it began. You learn two Deep Magic Covenants of your choice.
The Unblinking Eye
At 14th level, your understanding of the magic of the universe is so complete that you are able to see the absolute truth of the world. You gain truesight up to 70 feet, allowing you to see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceive the true form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic.