War Magic (2024)

A variety of arcane colleges specialize in training wizards for war. The tradition of War Magic blends principles of evocation and abjuration, rather than specializing in either of those schools. It teaches techniques that empower a caster’s spells, while also providing methods for wizards to bolster their own defenses. Followers of this tradition are known as war mages. 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, while their defensive skills foil their opponents’ attempts to counterattack. War mages are also adept at turning other spellcasters’ magical energy against them.

Eccentricity

Endless hours of solitary study and research can have a negative effect on anyone’s social skills. Wizards, who are a breed apart to begin with, are no exception. An odd mannerism or two is not necessarily a drawback, though; an eccentricity of this sort is usually harmless and could provide a source of amusement or serve as a calling card of sorts. If your character has an eccentricity, is it a physical tic or a mental one? Are you well known in some circles because of it? Do you fight to overcome it, or do you embrace this minor claim to fame of yours?

d6 Eccentricities

1	You have the habit of tapping your foot incessantly, which often annoys those around you.
2	Your memory is quite good, but you have no trouble pretending to be absentminded when it suits your purposes.
3	You never enter a room without looking to see what’s hanging from the ceiling.
4	Your most prized possession is a dead worm that you keep inside a potion vial.
5	When you want people to leave you alone, you start talking to yourself. That usually does the trick.
6	Your fashion sense and grooming, or more accurately lack thereof, sometimes cause others to assume you are a beggar.

War Magic Features

Wizard Level	Feature
2nd	Arcane Deflection, Tactical Wit
6th	Arcane Absorption
10th	Durable Magic
14th	Deflecting Shroud

In great battles, a war mage often works with evokers, abjurers, and other types of wizards. Evokers, in particular, sometimes tease war mages for splitting their attention between offense and defense. A war mage’s typical response: “What good is being able to throw a mighty Fireball if I die before I can cast it?”

Arcane Deflection

At 3rd level, you have learned to weave your magic to fortify yourself against harm. When you are hit by an attack or you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Proficiency Bonus until end of your next turn or to gain bonus equel to your Proficiency Bonus to saving throws of your selected ability (you select the ability when you use this reaction).

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.

Arcane Absorption

Starting at 6th level, you can absorb residual arcane energy from spells cast around you and store it for later use.

When a spell is cast within 60 feet of you, or when you cast a spell, you can use your reaction to siphon some of its arcane essence. The stolen magic is stored within you as arcane energy in a pool called the Arcane Energy Pool. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

When you use your Arcane Deflection feature as a reaction, you can use Arcane Absorption as part of the same reaction.

Each time you absorb magic this way, you gain arcane energy equal to the spell’s level. Cantrips grant 1 arcane energy, increasing to 2 at 5th level, 3 at 11th level, and 4 at 17th level.

From 11th level, when you use this feature to absorb energy from a cantrip you cast, you can do so without expending your reaction.

When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend any amount of arcane energy from your Arcane Energy Pool to deal additional force damage equal to the amount of energy spent. You can expend all or only part of your stored energy with a single damaging spell.

You lose all unspent arcane energy in your Arcane Energy Pool when you finish a long rest. After finishing that long rest, you gain arcane energy equal to your wizard level.

When you use your Arcane Recovery feature during a short rest, you also regain expended arcane energy up to your wizard level.

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.

Deflecting Shroud

At 14th level, your mastery of magical combat allows you to protect yourself while attacking your enemies. When you use Arcane Deflection, you can cause the arcane energy you have stored to burst toward an enemy as part of the same reaction, you can spend any amount of arcane energy from your Arcane Energy Pool and make a spell attack roll against a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to the amount of arcane energy spent. Hit or miss, the energy is spent. When you successfully counter a spell using counterspell or dispel a spell using dispel magic, you gain arcane energy equal to the level of the countered or dispelled spell. In addition, the range of your Arcane Absorption feature increases to 120 feet