Arcane Tradition: Inkarna
The Arcane Tradition of Inkarna was created by an old Wizard, Master Oyama. Seeing as wizards by default are relatively weak and frail and often the first ones to die in battle, he decided to develop a new way to use magic and developed his own martial art to implement said magic in close combat as well as long distance combat. A sturdier form of magic relying heavily on magical ink tattoos to increase magical affinity as well as enhance the body into a mountain. Choosing this subclass adds Armor of Agathys to your list of spells to choose from. Or that was the plan but couldn't publish this if I had it linked to this homebrew subclass. But it should be added to the spells you can choose in your wizard spell list.

 

Author's notes: 
This is a second draft (after some reviews) of a different way of playing a wizard. I've found a lack of unarmed fighter optimisation in the rules and sure you could always go for a barbarian or monk and gain additional feats and such. But after seeing the bladesinger I felt like perhaps there was something to be done with wizards as well. So I started working on this project of a glass cannon melee wizard that can cast spells through his punches. So at a certain level, when you cast spells it's done through your unarmed strikes, adding the unarmed strike attack on top of the spell. Most features I've taken from the bladesinger but tweaked them and changed them more in a theme for this vision I have.

I do acknowledge that this build at the moment is both unrefined, as well as very over powered. However I don't know just how over powered it is and how much I would need to tweak it as it is not play tested in any way. 

It's not recommended for low level campaigns as the key features come at level 6 where the arcane strikes comes in play. 

I also recommend trying to find a belt of giant's strength to optimise this subclass fully, allowing you to focus your ability scores on intelligence and constitution or maybe dex instead to increase your AC even more. Bonuses to CON saves to keep concentration to spells could allow you to put those CON points into DEX or STR instead. 

 

Other thoughts or features that has been removed or might be added:

Had athought of a feature that would give your melee spell attacks including your arcane strikes an additional 1d10 force damage. You could increase this damage if you upcast the melee spell attack with an additional 1d10 force damage per spell slot. This however I realize is too broken.

I also had in mind of giving the arcane strike 1d10 force damage per creature within 5ft of you as the danger calls on mighty powers to deal with it as soon as possible. This I'm not sure if it's broken or not as I am too inexperienced with balancing which you probably notice with the subclass so far. Any thoughts on this would be nice!

I'm gladly taking criticism though and suggestions to how I could improve this subclass in a way that doesn't undermine the vision of a muscular wizard who punches his spells through the enemies, but that might give it more balance and playability. 

This subclass makes the wizard slightly MAD (Multiple AbilityScore Dependent), but not necessarily. Due to some bonuses to CON saves you could forsake CON slightly and focus on INT and STR instead. Especially if you manage to get Resillient or War Caster feat. You could also go for INT+CON or INT+DEX, especially if you can get your hands on a belt of giant strength or such. 

If anyone playtests this, let me know what you think and how it works in your game. I would love to hear your stories and examples of where it might've been too weak or too strong or when it was just perfect for the situation needed.

Updates:
After having this subclass reviewed I've seen some changes that could be made and has thus changed the level 14 feature entirely, and have also edited level 6 feature with some limitations to your spellcasting combination with your arcane strikes. Still might need balancing and might make it so the Intelligence mod to your arcane strikes replaces your Strength mod to your strikes instead of adding to it. But will keep it as is for now until it's playtested to see if it's too strong or if it's balanced enough now as it is. I want the wizard to be incentivised to adding to their strength score to get even stronger so removing the strength aspect to this class sort of removes the vision I had when creating this subclass. It could however be flavoured instead but not a fan of it just being flavour.

All comments will be read and I'll gladly take all criticism and input you can give me. Until then, may the dice gods be in your favour.

 

Kindest regards,

Vitskugga (Sleeping_Wolf at dndbeyond)

Ink Artist

2nd-level Inkarna feature

You gain proficiency with Calligrapher's supplies (Arcane Tattoo Kit) and one skill of your choice between Intimidation, Medicine, Performance or Nature].

You gain expertise in 2 skills of your choice or 1 skill of your choice and Calligrapher's supplies (Arcane Tattoo Kit) when you reach level 10.

Arcane Ink Activation

Your body becomes your spellbook with the help of arcane tattoos and magical inscriptions. Your fists become arcane focuses for your spell casting abilities.

You can invoke the ancient magic of the ink you cover your body with, provided you aren't wearing any armor. It grants you supernatural speed, strength and focus.

You can use a bonus action to activate the tattoos which last for 1 minute. It ends early if you are incapacitated, if you don any armor or shield, or if you attack with a weapon. You can deactivate the arcane tattoos at any time. (no action required)

While your tattoos are active you gain the following benefits:

- You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Intelligence Modifier (minimum of +1)
- Your walking speed is increased by 10 ft
- You have advantage on strength checks (athletics), and strength and dexterity saving throws.
- You gain a bonus to any constitution saving throw you make to maintain your concentration on a spell. The bonus equals your intelligence modifier (minimum of +1)
- You can add your intelligence modifier to your unarmed attacks and they become magical for the purpose of bypassing resistances.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Arcane Martial Art

6th-level Inkarna Feature

Your tattoos have infused your fists with arcane energy allowing you to make arcane strikes instead. This strike deals arcane martial arts die+intelligence+strength bludgeoning damage.
You can cast a spell through this attack adding the arcane strike damage on top of it. The spells you can cast are defined by the table below.

Level 6 - 1d6 (Only touch spells can be cast using this feature)
Level 10 - 1d8 (Range spells becomes touch spells when using this feature)
Level 14 - 1d10 (Single target saving throw spells can be cast using this feature)
Level 18 - 1d12 (All spells can be used in this way. AoE spells regards your fist as starting point.)

Your fists can now be used as the melee weapon component for spells like booming blade, green-flame blade or similar.

 

Extra Attack
Starting from 6th level you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.

Kraken Ink's Resistance

10th-level Inkarna Feature

Your arcane tattoos can now be directed to absorb damage while they are active. When you take damage when your arcane ink is activated you can use your reaction to give yourself resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn, effectively taking half damage from the initial attack and any other attacks with the same damage type. (Does not include Psychic damage)

 

Ink Artist Level 10
Gain Expertise in 2 skills of your choice or 1 skill of your choice and calligrapher's tools.

 

Inkarnation Punch

As a final stand you can overcharge your arcane ink, consuming all remaining spell slots into a massive explosive punch. For every spell slot you consumed you deal 1d10 force damage.
After using this you get a feeling of lethargy, gaining 1 point of exhaustion and can't cast spells or make melee attacks on the next turn, and your movement speed gets lowered by 10 feet until you take a long rest.

Whenever you kill a creature with this attack, roll a percentile die (1d100). If you roll a 10 or below, their body implodes into a temporary rift, creating a portal into the astral sea. If you roll a 5 or below the portal becomes permanent. Anyone except you that is within 5ft of the rift when it's created needs to make a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be sucked into the astral plane. Whenever someone ends their turn within 5 ft of the portal needs to repeat the saving throw. The portal closes after 1d10 turns. 

 

Never Aging Ink
Your ink has been infused with so much arcane energy from the weave that it has started to prolong your life. You now age 1 year every 10 years. This effect is retroactive, starting from the time you got your first arcane tattoo.