War Mage Revised 2024

A variety of arcane colleges specialize in training wizards for war. The tradition of War Magic blends principles from all eight schools, rather than specializing in one. It teaches techniques that empower a caster’s spells through their implements, and draws upon the wizard’s innate skills with magic to create unique effects that sprout from the foundations of each school.

Followers of this tradition are known as war mages or arcanists. They see their magic as both a weapon and armor, a resource superior to any piece of steel. War mages act fast in battle, using their spells to seize tactical control of a situation. Their spells strike hard, and the variety of techniques they employ can often turn the tide of battle when used strategically.

Level 3: Tactical Wit

Starting at 3rd level, your keen ability to assess tactical situations allows you to act quickly in battle. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Level 3: Arcane Arsenal

At 3rd level, you have learned to weave your magic into implements to gain masteries with them just as well as any martial expert. You gain Arcane Implement Mastery, which allows you to use special abilities with Arcane Implements, such as orbs, wands, spellbooks, and staves. You may use Arcane Implement masteries once per round, and when you use these features, you can’t cast spells other than cantrips until the end of your next turn. You gain additional masteries at level 6, 10, and 14. The Arcane Implement Masteries are as follows:

• Orb: You may use Arcane Deception while you wield an orb as your spellcasting focus. When a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell from the Illusion, Divination, or Enchantment school of magic, you may use a reaction to choose another creature within 10 feet of the target. Repeat the spell against this new target. A creature cannot be affected by the same spell more than once with this power, and you must wield an orb to benefit from this feature.
• Wand: You may use Arcane Accuracy when you wield a wand as your spellcasting focus. As a bonus action, you can gain a bonus to a single attack roll equal to your Intelligence modifier for any Evocation or Necromancy spell you cast during that turn. You must wield a wand to benefit from this feature.
• Spellbook: You may use Arcane Enrichment when you wield a spellbook as your spellcasting focus. When you control a creature or are concentrating on a magical AoE from the Conjuration school of magic, you may use a bonus action to give your creatures or a magical AoE a bonus to damage rolls equal to 3 x your Proficiency Bonus until the end of your next turn. You must wield a spellbook to benefit from this feature.
  
• Staff: You may use Arcane Deflection when you wield a quarterstaff as your spellcasting focus. You fortify yourself against harm. When you are hit by an attack or you fail a saving throw while under the effects of an Abjuration or Transmutation spell, you can use your reaction to gain a +2 bonus to your AC against that attack or a +4 bonus to that saving throw. You must wield a staff to benefit from this feature.

Implement Mastery: Orb

You may use Arcane Deception while you wield an orb as your spellcasting focus. When a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell from the Illusion, Divination, or Enchantment school of magic, you may use a reaction to choose another creature within 10 feet of the target. Repeat the spell against this new target. A creature cannot be affected by the same spell more than once with this power, and you must wield an orb to benefit from this feature.

Implement Mastery: Spellbook

You may use Arcane Enrichment when you wield a spellbook as your spellcasting focus. When you control a creature or are concentrating on a magical AoE from the Conjuration school of magic, you may use a bonus action to give your creatures or a magical AoE a bonus to damage rolls equal to 3 x your Proficiency Bonus until the end of your next turn. You must wield a spellbook to benefit from this feature.

Implement Mastery: Staff

You may use Arcane Deflection when you wield a quarterstaff as your spell focus. You fortify yourself against harm. When you are hit by an attack or you fail a saving throw while under the effects of an Abjuration or Transmutation spell, you can use your reaction to gain a +2 bonus to your AC against that attack or a +4 bonus to that saving throw. You must wield a staff to benefit from this feature.

Implement Mastery: Wand

You may use Arcane Accuracy when you wield a wand as your spellcasting focus. As a bonus action, you can gain a bonus to a single attack roll equal to your Intelligence modifier for any Evocation or Necromancy spell you cast during that turn. You must wield a wand to benefit from this feature.

 

Level 6: Power Surge

Starting at 6th level, you can store magical energy within yourself to later empower your spells. In its stored form, this energy is called a power surge.

As a bonus action, you may expend a spell slot of any level to gain one power surge. You can store a maximum number of power surges equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). Whenever you finish a long rest, your number of power surges resets to one, and if you end a short rest with no power surges, you gain one power surge. 

Once per turn when you cast a level 1+ spell using a spell slot, you can spend one power surge to trigger an extra effect based upon which school of magic the spell belonged to. The effects are listed below: 

• Evocation: Blind one of the creatures affected by the spell until the end of your current turn and deal 1d4 extra force damage per spell level to that target.
  
• Abjuration: Heal 1d4 HP per spell slot level expended and receive the effects of a Lesser Restoration spell.
  
• Illusion: Gain the effects of Mirror Image for 1 minute per spell slot level.
  
• Divination: Gain advantage on one d20 Test of your choice for up to 1 minute per spell slot level expended. You may only have one divination effect active at a time.
  
• Transmutation: Gain the effects of Longstrider and Jump for 10 minutes per spell slot level.
• Conjuration: You can teleport up to 10 feet per spell slot level to an unoccupied space that you can see.
  
• Necromancy: Any creature affected by the spell has their Max HP reduced by 1d4 per spell level, and cannot regain HP until the end of your next turn.
  
• Enchantment: You gain a bonus to all Charisma checks equal to your Intelligence modifier for 1 minute per spell slot level expended.
  

Level 10: Durable Magic

Beginning at 10th level, the magic you channel helps ward off harm. While you maintain concentration on a spell, you have a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws.

Level 14: Improved Arcane Arsenal

At 14th level, you are able to wield your implements better than any weapon or shield, and have even invented new ways to harness magic through them. You gain a set of secondary abilities to use with your Arcane Implements. You may also choose an additional Arcane Implement Mastery.

• Orb: When you use Arcane Deception, the next creature that is affected by your spell receives a penalty to their saving throws against the spell equal to your intelligence modifier until the end of their next turn.
• Wand: When you use Arcane Accuracy, gain +2 to the spell save DC of your spell. 
• Spellbook: When you use Arcane Enrichment, your concentration can’t be broken on your Conjuration spells until the end of your next turn.
  
• Staff: When you use Arcane Deflection, you can cause magical energy to arc from you. Up to three creatures of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of you each take force damage equal to half your wizard level.