VSS
An elf recites the motions again for the simplest spell
she knows, repeating them until she knows they are
perfect. With a single, precise stroke, she unleashes
a wave of arcane energy, focused into a searing blue
beam.
A tiefling waves her hands to conjure floating
greatswords of humming blue energy, which dance
about in mesmerizing and deadly arcs. One blade
takes on an aspect of fire, and the other lightning, as
she begins to cleave through the goblinoid horde.
Waving a black and red checkered banner, a
dragonborn king charges into the fore. At his sides
are warmages of all houses, a chessboard of elite
arcanists, poised to turn the tide of battle.
The undisputed masters of cantrips, warmages
turn the most fundamental types of magic into a
deadly and precise art.
Cantrip Masters
While other spellcasters aspire to grander and more
complex spells, warmages refine and master the
most fundamental magic: cantrips. Warmages wield
their magic in the same way that a warrior uses
a sword, bow, or axe: as weapons to be perfected
and mastered, not as an unknowable force to be
feared. In contrast to sorcerers and wizards, their
magic is a trainable skill, one that can be mastered
by almost anyone with discipline and aptitude.
Therefore, warmages stand among the most fearsome
of spellcasters, with only the most rudimentary of
spells.
Strategic Geniuses
Warmages have a long and storied history as grand
strategists and tacticians, both in grand battles and
personal skirmishes. If a warmage is outgunned or
outmanned, they’ll try to outthink their foes, which
works more often than not. They demonstrate an
efficient kind of pragmatism, owing perhaps to their
ability to solve many problems with a few magical
tools.
Aligned Free Agents
While some warmages are fully self-taught, the
majority join a House, a loose confederation of
warmages which practice together and share secrets
of the trade. Houses teach invaluable battlefield
strategy, but each individual Houses also touts their
own brands of tactics and styles of magical tricks.
The House of Knights, for example, emphasizes
armor and martial prowess, whereas the House of
Kings emphasizes battlefield strategy.
By way of metaphor, Houses which value honor
and teamwork above all else brand themselves after
games of strategy, whereas those who epitomize selfreliance name themselves for games of chance. This
division in the warmage Houses is representative
of a schism that dates back to the earliest warmage
masters. Legend has it that the first two masters
separated when one decided to found a college. The
other, out of spite, built a casino outside its grounds.
Creating a Warmage
Warmages come from all walks of life, so as you
build yours, consider where you first learned the
fundamentals of magic, which you would go on to
perfect. You might have picked up cantrips from a
fellow adventurer or in the early stages of wizarding
training. You could even be self-taught. Choose an
Arcane Initiation which best fits your character’s
history with magic.
Moreover, consider how you feel about magic as
a whole. Are you envious of other spellcasters, or are
you confident you could best them regardless? Did
you once pine to be a wizard, but found you could
never muster enough true magic to form a spell slot?
Did you choose warmagistry to hone your talents
to their absolute peak, or did you choose it to wield
power no warrior can equal?
Lastly, consider your prospective warmage
house. Though you don’t choose one until reaching
third level, your aspirations might shape which
house you favor the most. If you would like to dabble
with greater arcane magic, the House of Bishops is
the best fit. If the clashing of swords at the frontlines
piques your interest, consider the House of Knights.
QUICK BUILD
You can make a Warmage quickly by following
these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your
highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Make
Strength your third highest if you plan to take the
House of Knights. Then choose the cantrips chill
touch, force weapon, and phantom grapnel, and the
Adventurer Arcane Initiation. Pick any background.
hit dice:
1d8
hit points at 1st level:
8 + your Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels:
1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per witch level after 1st
armor proficiencies:
Light armor
weapon proficiencies:
Simple weapons
tools:
One artisan’s kit, one musical instrument
saving throws:
Constitution, Intelligence
skills:
Choose two from: Acrobatics, Animal
Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History,
Investigation, Medicine, Perception, and Survival
starting equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition
to the equipment granted by your background:
- Leather armor, a dagger, and any simple weapon
- A spellcasting focus or material component pouch
- An explorer’s pack and (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) one kit you’re proficient in
spellcasting:
Spellcasting
At 1st level, you begin to learn the simple, yet potent,
brand of spellcasting for which warmages are known.
CANTRIPS
You learn three cantrips of your choice from the
warmage spell list. You learn additional warmage
cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in
the Cantrips Known column of the Warmage table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you
can choose one of the warmage cantrips you know
and replace it with another warmage cantrip.
SPELLCASTING ABILITY
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your
warmage spells, since you learn your spells
through practice and mental discipline. You use
your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your
Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw
DC for a warmage spell you cast and when making
an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus
+ your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency
bonus + your Intelligence modifier
SPELLCASTING FOCUS
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus
for your warmage spells.
Arcane Initiation
Warmages come from all backgrounds and walks
of life. At 1st level, choose where you first learned
the basics of magic. The cantrips offered by your
initiation don’t count against your total number of
warmage cantrips known.
ADVENTURER
You picked up your magic informally by travelling
with a dozen different mages over the years. You
learn the mage hand and ray of frost cantrips.
CIRCUS PERFORMER
You learned a few simple tricks to participate in a
sideshow or circus act. You learn the dancing lights
and minor illusion cantrips.
ELDRITCH EVENT
An influx of insidious magic left an imprint on you.
You learn the chill touch and message cantrips.
MERCENARY
You mastered the fundamentals of war magic to
engage in battle with similarly-armed arcanists. You
learn the arc blade and true strike cantrips.
TEMPLE
A monastery or temple educated you in the ways
of gentle healing magic. You learn the sacred
flame and spare the dying cantrips.
TOWER APPRENTICE
You apprenticed under a spellcaster for some time,
who taught you the fundamentals of arcana. You
learn the prestidigitation and shocking grasp cantrips.
SELF-TAUGHT
You taught yourself all the fundamentals of magic
from a dusty old tome or abandoned scroll. You
learn the fire bolt and light cantrips.
SURVIVAL
To survive in the wilderness, you taught yourself
to cast simple spells. You learn the druidcraft and
shillelagh cantrips
class features:
Arcane Fighting Style
Warmages learn that magic is the purest of weapons,
and can be wielded just as easily as any other. At 1st
level, select one of the following fighting styles:
BLASTER.
The spell save DC for your warmage cantrips
increases by 1.
DEFLECTOR.
When you have one hand free and a creature hits you
with a spell attack or a ranged weapon attack, you
can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus
to your Armor Class, potentially causing the attack
to miss.
RESISTIVE.
While you are wearing light armor or are under the
effects of the mage armor spell, you gain a +1 bonus
to your Armor Class.
SNIPER.
When making a ranged spell attack, you gain a +1
bonus to the attack roll. Additionally, your ranged
cantrips ignore half cover.
STRIKER.
When you hit with a cantrip requiring a melee attack
and exceed the target’s AC by 5 or more or score a
critical hit, you can add your proficiency modifier to
the damage roll.
Warmage Edge
Starting at 2nd level, once on each of your turns
when you deal damage with a warmage cantrip, you
can improve one damage roll of the spell, adding
your Intelligence modifier to the roll. Starting at 5th
level, and as you gain levels in this class, you also
add additional dice of cantrip damage, as shown on
the Cantrip Bonus Dice column of the Warmage
table, to the damage roll. For example, when you are
at 5th level, you can enhance the damage of the fire
bolt cantrip to deal fire damage equal to 3d10 + your
Intelligence modifier on a hit.
Warmage Tricks
Beginning at 2nd level, you learn a Warmage Trick,
a special technique that alters the way you fight,
move, and cast your spells. You learn 2 tricks at 2nd
level, and an additional trick as shown on the Tricks
Known column of the Warmage table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class,
you can replace a trick that you know with another
trick for which you meet the prerequisites.
Warmage House
The College of Warmages divides its students into
distinct Houses, teaching different skills, abilities,
and techniques. Upon reaching 3rd level, you can
select a House, which offers you features at 3rd level,
and additional features at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th
level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th,
16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability
score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two
ability scores of your choice by 1. You can’t increase
an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Arcane Surge
Starting at 5th level, you learn to, for a moment, tap
into a vast reservoir of magical power and unleash
it upon your foes. On your turn, when you deal
damage with a warmage cantrip, you can deal twice
the number of damage dice dealt by the spell. You
can’t use this ability on a spell that has scored a
critical hit.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 11th
level, you can use this ability twice between rests.
Tactical Insight
At 6th level, you learn how to use ambient magical
power to defend yourself from your foes’ magical
attacks. You can add your Intelligence modifier to
saving throws you make against spells and magical
effects that deal damage.
Strategic Deflection
Starting at 14th level, as a reaction when a creature
casts a spell that targets you or includes you in
its area of effect and forces you to make a saving
throw to avoid damage, you can use your reaction
to attempt to redirect some of the spell’s energy to
a new target. If you succeed on your saving throw
against the spell, choose another creature you can see
within the spell’s range or 30 feet, whichever is closer,
to make a saving throw against the spell, using your
spell save DC. The new target can be the original
spellcaster. On a failed save, the creature suffers the
effects of the spell as if you had cast the spell and
they had been the original target or been within the
area of the spell.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest.
Master Warmage
At 20th level, you reach the pinnacle of your
warmage prowess. If you cast a cantrip which deals
4 dice of damage to a target, it instead deals 5 dice of
damage. If you cast a cantrip which makes 4 attacks,
it instead makes 5 attacks.
WARMAGE TRICKS
The following tricks are presented in alphabetical
order. If a warmage trick has prerequisites, you must
meet them to choose it. You can choose the trick at
the same time that you meet its prerequisites.
BISHOP'S MANEUVER
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Bishops
You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action,
and when you do so, your movement speed increases
by 10 feet until the end of your turn.
BLASTING CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal force
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you
can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in
a straight line.
BLINDING LIGHT
Prerequisite: light cantrip
When you use the light cantrip to target an
object you are holding, you can direct a flare at a
creature within 10 feet of you, which must make a
Constitution saving throw against your spell save
DC. On a failed save, the creature is blinded until
the beginning of your next turn. After a creature
has failed a saving throw against this ability, it has
advantage on all Constitution saving throws against
it for 24 hours.
CASTLE
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Rooks
As an action, you can choose a willing Small or
Medium creature you can see within 100 feet of you.
You both teleport, switching places.
Once you use this trick, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest.
CHIVALROUS PRESENCE
Prerequisite: House of Knights
You gain proficiency in the Insight and Persuasion
skills. Additionally, you have advantage on ability
checks you make to interact with nobility, and other
creatures can always discern when you’re telling the
truth.
CLOAK OF FEATHERS
Prerequisite: House of Rooks
While not wearing armor, under the effects of mage
armor, or using a shield, your AC equals 10 + your
Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier.
COMMANDER'S STEED
Prerequisites: House of Kings
You learn the find steed spell and can cast it without
using a spell slot. Your steed is more resilient than
most, and has a number of additional hit points
equal to your warmage level.
CORROSIVE CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal acid
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you
can cause the acid to erode the target’s defenses. The
next time a creature makes an attack roll against the
target before the beginning of your next turn, roll a
d4 and subtract it from the target’s Armor Class for
this attack.
DIRECTED MOMENTUM
Prerequisite: 10th level, House of Lancers
Once on each of your turns, when you score a critical
hit with a melee attack or reduce a creature to 0 hit
points with one, you can make an unarmed strike
against a second target. If the target is within range
of your Shock Trooper feature, you can lunge toward
it. On a hit, this attack deals an additional 1d8 force
damage.
DRAINING CANTRIP
Whenever you deal necrotic or poison damage to a
hostile creature using a warmage cantrip, you can
siphon some of its life force. You gain temporary hit
points equal to half your warmage level, which last
for 1 minute.
ENCRYPTOGRAM
Prerequisite: cryptogram cantrip
Your knowledge of ciphers has improved your
magically clandestine communications. When you
cast the cryptogram cantrip, its limit is 20 characters,
instead of 8, and only the specified recipient can read
the message.
EXPLOSIVE CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal fire
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, each
creature within 5 feet of the target, except yourself
and the target, must succeed a Dexterity saving
throw against your spell save DC or take half the fire
damage dealt.
EXTENDED RANGE
The range of your warmage cantrips is doubled.
FIELD MEDIC
Prerequisite: House of Bishops
You learn the cantrip spare the dying, which does not
count against your maximum number of cantrips
known. Additionally, when you cast spare the dying
on a creature which has 0 hit points, the target
regains 1 hit point and gains temporary hit points
equal to your level, which last for 1 minute. Once a
creature regains hit points due to this ability, it can’t
do so again until it finishes a long rest.
FLEXIBLE RANGE
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t
impose disadvantage on your ranged spell attack
rolls. Additionally, the range of any cantrip you cast
that requires a melee spell attack increases to 10 feet.
FOLD
Prerequisites: House of Cards, 10th level
You have learned to graciously accept defeat using
your Deck of Fate. As a reaction when you are hit by
an attack, you can play your entire hand to cast the
shield spell without using a spell slot.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest.
GAMBLE
Prerequisites: cheat cantrip, House of Cards or House
of Dice
You are always under the effects of the cheat cantrip.
Additionally, you can reroll an attack roll, ability
check, or saving throw. Once you use this ability, you
can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
INFINITE VARIATION
Prerequisite: prestidigitation cantrip
You have become exceptionally skilled at using
the prestidigitation cantrip to mimic other spells.
When you cast prestidigitation, you can use it to
emulate the effects of any other cantrip that does not
deal damage, even one that is not on the warmage
spell list. To do so, you must succeed on a DC 15
Intelligence (Arcana) check, otherwise the spell
fizzles and does nothing. A cantrip cast using this
trick counts as a warmage cantrip and uses your
Intelligence modifier as the spellcasting modifier.
ICY CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns, when you deal cold
damage to a creature with a warmage cantrip, you
can numb the target with a frigid blast. The first time
the target makes an attack roll before the end of its
next turn, it must roll a d4 and subtract it from the
roll.
KNIGHT'S AEGIS
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Knights, force
buckler cantrip
When you cast the force buckler cantrip, you can
concentrate on it for up to 1 minute. The spell does
not end early if you are hit by an attack.
LEADING EDGE TACTICS
Prerequisites: House of Lancers
You always have a plan when engaging the enemy. As
such, attacks during the first round of combat have
disadvantage against you.
LIEUTENANT'S DEMAND
Prerequisites: 10th level, House of Kings
You can cast the spell command at will without using
a spell slot.
MAGE HAND KNACK
Prerequisite: mage hand cantrip
Your skill with the mage hand cantrip allows you
to use it as an extension of yourself. When you cast
the spell and as a bonus action on each of your
subsequent turns, you can use one of the following
effects with the hand:
Press. The hand pushes against a Large
or smaller creature within 5 feet of it. Choose a
direction away from that creature. Every foot of
movement in that direction while the hand is
pressing against it costs the creature two feet of
movement. The hand continues to push the target
until the spell ends or you use your bonus action to
use a different effect using the hand.
Punch. The hand strikes one creature or object
within 5 feet of it. Make a melee spell attack for the
hand using your spell attack bonus. On a hit, the
target takes 1d6 force damage.
Seize. The hand grabs a creature of Tiny size
and attempts to grapple it. The creature must succeed
on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check against your spell save DC or be grappled by
the hand. The hand continues to grapple the target
until the target uses an action to escape on its turn,
the spell ends, or you use your bonus action to use a
different effect using the hand.
MINOR SHADOW ILLUSION
Prerequisite: minor illusion cantrip
When you create the image of an object in an
unoccupied space using the minor illusion cantrip,
you can fill it with fibers of shadowstuff, causing it
to become partially real. No matter what form the
semi-real object takes, it still must be no larger than
a 5-foot cube. It has AC 10 and 5 HP, and it weighs 5
pounds. You can only have one semi-real illusion at
a time. While this semi-real object exists, the cantrip
requires your concentration.
The illusion can’t replicate a creature, but it can
deal damage to a creature within its 5-foot cube. If
the illusion is of an object that can deal damage, a
creature that enters the object’s 5-foot cube or begins
its turn there must make an Intelligence saving throw
against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the
creature takes 1d6 damage of a type appropriate to
the illusion. This damage increases by 1d6 when you
reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level
(4d6). This damage can’t trigger Warmage Edge or
any warmage tricks.
MYSTICAL ARMOR
You can cast the spell mage armor on yourself at will,
without expending a spell slot.
MYSTICAL ATHLETE
Prerequisite: quickstep or springheel cantrip
When you cast the quickstep cantrip, your speed
increases by 20 feet instead of 10 feet. When you
cast the springheel cantrip, your jumping distance
increases by 20 feet instead of 10 feet. If you know
both of these cantrips, you can cast both of them as
part of the same bonus action.
MYSTICAL WEAPONMASTER
Prerequisite: force weapon or magic daggers cantrip
Once on each of your turns when you roll a 1 on the
d20 for an attack roll for the force weapon or magic
daggers cantrips, you can reroll the die and must use
the new roll.
MYSTICAL VISION
You can cast the spell detect magic at will without
expending a spell slot.
PHANTOM HOOKSHOT
Prerequisite: phantom grapnel cantrip
You can cast the phantom grapnel cantrip as a bonus
action. If you do so, its range is reduced to 15 feet.
Additionally, creatures pulled by phantom grapnel are
pulled an additional 10 feet.
RAPID FORTIFICATION
Prerequisite: mending cantrip
You can cast the mending cantrip as a bonus action,
or you can cast it as an action for one of the following
effects:
- You can restore a single object, such as a door, cart, wall, or window to pristine condition, if at least half of its parts are present. This object can be no larger than 10 cubic feet, or 1 cubic foot if it is an exceptionally complex object (such as a clock).
- You can create simple fortifications, such as sealing a door shut, adding wooden planks to a window, or building a short stone wall (no larger than 10 cubic feet). You must have the materials present to use this ability.
SNAKE EYES
Prerequisites: House of Dice, 10th level
If you roll a 1 or 2 on a Die of Fate, you keep the die
instead of giving it to the GM.
SEVERE CANTRIP
When a creature rolls a 1 on a saving throw against
one of your warmage cantrips, it automatically fails
the save and takes twice the number of damage dice
dealt by the spell, as if you scored a critical hit. The
additional damage only applies to the creature that
rolled a 1.
SIGNATURE FOCUS
Prerequisite: 5th level
When you finish a long rest, you can place a unique
sigil on a simple weapon, which becomes your
signature focus until you use this ability again. This
weapon becomes magical, and can be used as an
arcane focus. Your signature focus is bonded to you,
and gains a number of special abilities:
- As a bonus action, you can call your signature focus to your hand, as long as you are on the same plane as it.
- You can add your Intelligence modifier, instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, to attack rolls using your signature focus.
- Your signature focus gains a number of charges equal to your Intelligence modifier. When you damage a creature with it or a cantrip cast through it, you can expend one charge to deal an additional 1d8 force damage to that creature.
Your focus regains all spent charges after you
finish a long rest.
SILENT CANTRIP
Once on each of your turns when you deal thunder
damage to a hostile creature with a warmage cantrip,
you can create a 15-foot diameter sphere of magical
silence, centered on yourself or the creature (your
choice), which lasts until the start of your next turn.
SPLIT FIRE
Prerequisite: 5th level
When you cast a warmage cantrip that requires
a single spell attack roll, you can select multiple
creatures and make a spell attack roll against each.
You can target a number of creatures equal to the
number of damage dice the cantrip deals, and split
your damage dice up amongst your targets, to a
minimum of 1 die of damage per target. Each attack
must target a different creature.
For example, fire bolt deals 3d10 damage. You
can choose to target three creatures and deal 1d10
damage to each creature, or you can target two
creatures, dealing 1d10 damage to one creature and
2d10 damage to the other creature, or you can target
one creature for 3d10 damage.
STATIC CANTRIP
Whenever you deal lightning damage to a hostile
creature using a warmage cantrip, you can sap part
of the energy into a charge which clings to your body
until the beginning of your next turn. While charged,
you can use your reaction when you take damage
from a creature you can see within 5 feet of you to
deal lightning damage equal to half your warmage
level to the creature.
UNERRING STRIKE
Prerequisites: 10th level, true strike cantrip
When you cast the true strike cantrip, you can
concentrate on it for a number of rounds equal to
your Intelligence modifier. You gain advantage on the
first attack roll you make against the target each round
while maintaining concentration on true strike.
subclass options:
WARMAGE HOUSES
Each warmage is defined by their chosen House,
which teaches them valuable skills and offers a
confederation of allies they will keep for their lives.
Named for games of strategy and games of chance,
each house emphasizes a unique approach to
spellcasting and combat.
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops adopts warmages with true
arcane potential, expanding on essential magic
principles with true spellcasting. Such warmages
might be easily confused for wizards or sorcerers,
for they don the same garb and wield many of the
same spells, but the warmage focus on perfection
still holds precedence over garnering a vast array of
spells.
SPELLCASTING
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain
the ability to cast spells more potent than cantrips.
Spell Slots. The Bishop Spellcasting table
shows how many spell slots you have to cast your
spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these
spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or
higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you
finish a long rest.
Spells known of 1st-Level or Higher. You
know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two
of which you must choose from the conjuration and
evocation spells on the wizard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Bishop
Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard
spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must
be a conjuration or evocation spell of your choice,
except for the spells learned at 8th, and 14th level, and
must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you
can replace one of the wizard spells you know with
another spell of your choice from the wizard spell
list. The new spell must be of a level for which you
have spell slots, and it must be a conjuration or
evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you
gained at 8th or 14th level.
Warmage Edge. You can add additional
damage with your warmage spells of 1st level or
higher using your Warmage Edge feature, as if they
were cantrips. You can’t add Warmage Edge damage
to the spell magic missile.
Warmage
level |
Cantrips
known |
Spells
known |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
3rd |
2 |
3 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
4th |
2 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
5th |
2 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
6th |
2 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
7th |
2 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
- |
- |
8th |
2 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
- |
- |
9th |
2 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
- |
- |
10th |
3 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
11th |
3 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
12th |
3 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
- |
- |
13th |
3 |
9 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
14th |
3 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
15th |
3 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
16th |
3 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
17th |
3 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
18th |
3 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
19th |
3 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
20th |
3 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
ARCANE STUDY
At 3rd level, you become proficient in two of
the following skills: Arcana, History, Medicine,
Investigation, or Religion.
MYSTICAL COMPANION
At 7th level, you learn the find familiar spell and can
cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn’t count against your
number of spells known.
When you cast the spell, you can choose one
of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the
following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit,
or sprite.
SIEGE CASTING
At 10th level, damage you deal to objects with a
warmage spell is doubled. Additionally, when you
cast a warmage spell which requires a spell attack
roll, you can cast it at up to double its normal range.
If its target is beyond its normal range, the spell
attack has disadvantage.
ARCANE SCULPTING
Starting at 15th level, when you cast a warmage
spell that affects other creatures that you can
see, you can choose a number of them equal
to your Intelligence modifier. The chosen
creatures automatically succeed on their
saving throws against the spell, and they take
no damage if they would normally take half
damage on a successful save.
ARCANE DOMINANCE
At 18th level, you learn a powerful magical trick. As a
bonus action on your turn, you can expend a number
of spell slots with a combined level of 6 or more to
regain an expended use of your Arcane Surge.
House of Cards
Warmages who join the House of Cards approach
combat the same way they do games of chance,
with high stakes, calculated gambles. Each warmage
of this house wields a special deck of cards tied to
the very threads of fate, through which they can
empower their magic with deft flurries of hands.
However, while these warmages command incredible
power, their magical surges are at the whims of the
cards, and so they must make strategic, ingenious
plays to master them.
BLUFF
When you choose this house at 3rd level, your poker
face carries you through practically any lie. You gain
proficiency in the Deception skill and with gaming
sets (playing cards), if you didn’t have it already.
Additionally, you can use your Intelligence instead
of Charisma for Charisma (Deception) checks you
make.
DECK OF FATE
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a deck of magical
playing or tarot cards, called a Deck of Fate, through
which you can enhance the power of your cantrips.
Shuffle a standard 52-card playing card deck and
draw a hand of 5 cards when you roll initiative.
Whenever you target a hostile creature with a
warmage spell that deals damage, you can use your
bonus action to play one or more cards from your
hand to enhance the power of the spell. If the cards
exactly match one of the results on the Hands table
below, it deals additional damage or one additional
effect according to the result to one of the spell’s
targets of your choice. Playing cards which do not
match a result has no effect. Aces count as ones for
results. Once you play a card, place it on the bottom
of the deck and draw back to five cards.
HIGH STAKES
At 7th level, you’ve mastered a very risky card trick
using your Deck of Fate. On your turn, you can
choose to lose 2 hit points to play 1 card from your
hand and draw back to 5 cards (no action required).
DEALER'S CHOICE
At 10th level, you can use your bonus action to gain
one of the following three abilities, selected by the
GM:
- You gain resistance to all damage until the end of your next turn.
- You teleport to a point you can see within 60 feet.
- You vanish into a safe, endless demiplane until the beginning of your next turn, at which time you return at the same location from which you vanished.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until
you finish a short or long rest.
CARD READING
Beginning at 15th level, once on each of your turns
when you draw a card from your deck as part of your
Deck of Fate feature, you can declare a suit (Club,
Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades) and check the top
card of your deck. If you guessed the suit correctly,
you can take the Dash, Disengage, or Use an Object
action as part of the bonus action used for the
feature.
ACE IN THE HOLE
Beginning at 18th level, you are a deckmaster.
Whenever you would draw one or more cards from
your deck, draw twice as many. Put half of the drawn
cards on the bottom of your deck and the other cards
in your hand.
HANDS
Name |
Cards |
Beneit |
Straight |
Any five sequential cards,
regardless of house. |
You deal an additional 12 damage. |
Flush |
Any five cards of the same
suit, regardless of order. |
You deal an additional 10 damage. |
Three of a
Kind |
Any three of the same
card. |
You deal an additional 6 damage. |
Pair |
Any two of the same card. |
You deal an additional 2 damage. |
Hearts |
Any two hearts. |
You gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier. |
Spades |
Any two spades. |
Your movement speed increases by 10 feet until the start of your
next turn. |
Diamonds |
Any two diamonds. |
You gain a +1 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn. |
Clubs |
Any two clubs. |
You gain a +1 bonus to saving throws until the start of your next. |
House of Dice
The House of Dice throws out the warmage
convention of meticulous, deliberate spellcasting
in favor of wild, chaotic magic that presses the
odds. Everything, from their magical bursts to
their enchanted sets of dice can fail horribly, so it’s
auspicious that they often keep their fingers on the
scales of fate. These warmages have mastered not
only a repertoire of cantrips, but also techniques
to manipulate fortune itself, allowing them to risk
everything, and more than often come out on top.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Starting when you choose this house at 3rd level,
your light fingers and unscrupulous tactics help you
win the day. You gain proficiency in the Sleight of
Hand skill and with gaming sets (dice set), if you
didn’t have it already.
DICE OF FATE
At 3rd level, you gain four Dice of Fate, which are
d6s. Whenever you make an ability check, attack
roll, saving throw, or damage roll, you can expend a
Die of Fate and add it to the roll. Once you expend a
Die of Fate, it goes to the GM, who can use it to add
it to a roll made by an NPC or monster. Once the
GM has used a die, it passes back to you, and so on.
When you finish a long rest, you regain all of your
expended Dice of Fate, whether or not the GM has
used them.
Beginning at 7th level, you have an additional
2 Dice of Fate, and you can add two Dice of Fate to
your damage rolls with warmage spells.
CHAOS ROLL
Also at 3rd level, you can expend two of your Dice of
Fate as an action, rolling them on the table below to
create a chaotic surge of energy
2d6 |
Effect |
2 |
You cast fireball, centered on yourself. |
3 |
Your AC is reduced by 2 until the start of
your next turn. |
4 |
You fall prone. |
5 |
Each creature other than yourself within
60 feet of you can speak only in a
babbling nonsense language for the next
minute, and can’t perform the verbal
components of spells. |
6 |
A 5-foot radius sphere of butterflies,
insects, or doves fills a location you can
choose within range, heavily obscuring
the area until the start of your next turn. |
7 |
You gain 7 temporary hit points, and
keep the Dice of Fate instead of giving
them to the GM. |
8 |
You become invisible until the end of
your next turn, as per the spell invisibility |
9 |
A random object explodes nearby,
dealing no damage to you or your allies,
and dealing 3d6 fire damage to one
creature caught in the blast chosen by
the GM. |
10 |
You teleport up to 60 feet to an
unoccupied location you can see. Each
creature within 5 feet of the destination
must make a Dexterity saving throw
against your spell save DC or take 2d6
force damage. |
11 |
Choose a creature you can see within
60 feet. That creature takes 4d6 necrotic
damage, and you regain hit points equal
to the necrotic damage dealt. |
12 |
You cast lightning bolt and can add the
Dice of Fate to the damage roll. |
LOADED DICE
By 7th level, you can subtly cheat your dice. Once
on each of your turns when you roll a d6, you can
flip the die upside down. Note that on a balanced d6,
the top and bottom numbers add up to 7, so you can
determine the bottom number by subtracting the top
from 7.
TWISTED FATE
Starting at 10th level, the winds of chance follow
your die rolls, rather than vice-versa. When
you make an attack roll or ability check with
disadvantage on your turn, you can attempt to invert
fate as a bonus action. Expend a Die of Fate and roll
it; on a 5, you ignore disadvantage on the roll, on a
6, you instead have advantage on the attack roll or
ability check.
ROLL THE BONES
Beginning at 15th level, you can channel the chaotic
energy of your dice in an instant. As a reaction when
you take damage from a creature you can see, you can
expend two Dice of Fate to make a Chaos Roll.
STEAL LUCK
Starting at 18th level, when you roll initiative, roll a d6.
You steal that many Dice of Fate back from the GM.
House of Kings
Warmages who train in the House of Kings specialize
in tactics and strategy, learning age-old maneuvers
to give them the edge in combat. Natural-born
leaders, Kings work best with a cadre of supporters
to perform their tactics and overwhelm the enemy.
Moreso than all other warmages, those in the House
of Kings treat life and death as little more than a
game of strategy to be understood and conquered.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you
gain proficiency with medium armor, battleaxes,
longswords, tridents, lances, and warhammers.
BATTLE TACTICS
At 3rd level, you learn stratagems that are fueled by
special dice called Battle dice.
Battle Dice. You have two battle dice, which are
d8s. A battle die is expended when you use it. You
regain all of your battle dice when you take a short or
long rest, or when you roll initiative.
Your battle die changes and more battle dice
become available when you reach certain levels in
this class, as shown on the table below.
Warmage level |
Battle Dice |
3rd |
2d8 |
7th |
3d8 |
13th |
3d10 |
19th |
4d10 |
Using Battle Dice. Once per turn, you can
expend a battle die to perform a stratagem of your
choice. Your stratagem options are detailed at the
end of the subclass description.
Saving Throws. When a stratagem calls for a
saving throw to resist its effects, use your spell save
DC.
LEAD FROM THE FRONT
Starting at 7th level, you and each friendly creature
within 100 feet that can see you ignores nonmagical
difficult terrain.
TACTICAL MASTER
Starting at 10th level, friendly creatures within 10 feet
of you add your Intelligence modifier to saving throws
against spells and magical effects that deal damage.
STRATAGEM: CHECKMATE
At 15th level, you learn the following maneuver:
When you hit a creature with a weapon or spell
attack, you can use your bonus action and expend a
battle die to direct one of your companions to strike.
When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can
see or hear you that is within reach of the creature
you hit. That creature can immediately use its
reaction to make one weapon attack or cast a cantrip
requiring an attack roll, adding the battle die to the
attack’s damage roll.
GRANDMASTER
Beginning at 18th level, when you roll initiative,
choose a number of friendly creatures equal to your
Intelligence modifier that can hear or see you to
gain a battle die. Once within the next 10 minutes,
the creature can roll the die and add the number
rolled to one ability check, attack roll, damage roll,
or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until
after it makes the roll before deciding to add the
battle die, but must decide before the GM declares
the roll’s outcome. Once the battle die is rolled, it is
lost. A creature can have only one battle die from this
feature at a time.
STRATAGEMS
The stratagems are presented in alphabetical order.
Blitz. As a bonus action, when you hit a
creature with an attack, you can expend one battle
die to maneuver one of your comrades into a more
advantageous position. Choose a friendly creature
who can see or hear you. That creature can use
its reaction to move up to half its speed without
provoking opportunity attacks from the target of
your attack.
Check. When you hit a creature with an attack,
as a bonus action you can spend one battle die to
force that creature to flee. The target must make a
Charisma saving throw. A creature that is immune
to being charmed automatically succeeds this saving
throw. On a failed save, the target must immediately
use its reaction, if available, to move up to half its
speed directly away from you.
Flash of Brilliance. When you make an
Intelligence or Wisdom ability check, you can
expend and roll one battle die to add its result
to your ability check. You can choose to use this
stratagem after the ability check is rolled but before
the GM declares whether the result was a success or
failure.
Gambit. When you hit a creature with an attack,
you can expend one battle die to give your allies an
opening. The next creature other than you to make
an attack against the target adds the battle die to their
attack roll.
Mystic Counsel. You can use a bonus action
and expend one battle die to give counsel to a
creature that can hear you within 30 feet. Once in the
next minute when the creature makes a saving throw
against a spell it can choose to roll the battle die and
add its result to the saving throw.
Stalemate. When you hit a creature with an
attack, as a bonus action you can expend one battle
die to hold that creature in place. Until the end of
its next turn, the target can’t willingly move unless it
first takes the Disengage action.
House of Knights
The House of Knights have a long and storied
tradition of melding melee combat and swordplay
with the warmage’s simple spellcasting. Unlike other
warriors, however, Knights carry neither swords or
shields into combat, for they can forge both out of
magical force at a moment’s notice.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you
gain proficiency with medium armor and martial
weapons.
FORCE BREASTPLATE
At 3rd level, plates of magical force reinforce your
armor. While you are wearing light or medium
armor or are under the effects of mage armor, you
can add your Intelligence, rather than your Dexterity,
to your Armor Class.
MYSTICAL WEAPON
Also at 3rd level, you learn the force weapon cantrip,
which does not count against your total number of
cantrips known. Additionally, on your turn when you
would draw a weapon, you can summon a simple or
martial weapon, made entirely of magical force, to
your empty hand. This weapon counts as magical for
the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity
to nonmagical attacks and damage. This weapon
vanishes if it leaves your hand.
FLURRY OF BLADES
Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip which
allows you to make multiple spell attacks, such as
force weapon or magic daggers, you can use your
bonus action to make one additional spell attack.
KNIGHT'S WARD
Starting 10th level, you learn to forge a hardened
magical barrier between you and your foes. As a
bonus action on your turn, you can gain a number
of temporary hit points equal to twice your warmage
level, which last for 1 minute.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest.
TACTICAL MANEUVER
At 15th level, you can spend your entire movement
to teleport up to half your movement speed to a
location you can see.
FIELD OF BLADES
Starting at 18th level, you can summon a whirlwind
of mystical weapons, striking at a legion of foes in
a single swipe. As an action on your turn, you can
choose up to 5 creatures you can see within 30 feet.
Make a single melee spell attack against each target.
On a hit, a target takes 2d10 + your Intelligence
modifier force damage.
House of Lancers
Warmages who join the House of Lancers are trained
in fluid martial arts and meditative asceticism,
melding the stoic discipline of monks with potent
spellcasting. As such, they are unarmed elemental
warriors, self-reliant and capable of feats no monk or
warmage could hope to match. However, Lancers are
notoriously neutral in almost all matters, and stand
apart from the politics of the other Houses.
Lancers derive their name from an ancient
precursor to the pawn, a piece remembered only in
early variants of chess. Remote monasteries still play
using this ancient set of rules: a smaller board, fewer
pieces, and lancers replacing the dutiful pawns. It is a
relic from a forgotten age, rife with symbolism.
INTERCEPT TECHNIQUE
Starting when you choose this house at 3rd level, you
adopt the monastic principle of offensive protection.
While you are unarmored or are under the effects of
mage armor, you can add your Intelligence, rather
than your Dexterity, to your Armor Class.
HAND-TO-HAND ARCANA
Also at 3rd level, you learn the Lancer’s secret
unarmed combat technique, granting you the
following benefits:
- You can use Intelligence instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
- Your unarmed strikes count as melee weapons for the purposes of warmage spells.
- Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
SHOCK TROOPER
Starting at 3rd level, can rapidly close the distance
between you and your foes. Whenever you make a
melee attack on your turn against a creature you can
see, you can lunge up to 15 feet toward your target
before making the attack. This movement doesn’t
provoke opportunity attacks. You can perform this
movement even if it causes you to travel through the
air, though you fall after making the attack if you do
not land on solid ground.
MYSTICAL PHYSICALITY
Starting at 7th level, whenever you make a Strength,
Dexterity, or Constitution check, you can use your
Intelligence modifier instead of the normal modifier.
In addition, moving through rough terrain no
longer costs you additional movement.
DEFLECT ENERGY
By 10th level, you can deflect bolts of energy with
your bare hands. As a reaction when you are hit by a
ranged spell attack or a ranged weapon attack which
deals cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, or radiant
damage, you can use your reaction to deflect the
bolt. The damage you take from the attack is reduced
by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + half your
warmage level (rounded down).
IMPROVED SHOCK TROOPER
Starting at 15th level, you can lunge up to 30 feet
using your Shock Trooper ability. This movement
causes you to teleport through creatures and objects,
blinking to the target in an instant. You can’t end
your movement in an occupied space.
FLURRY OF SPELLS
Starting at 18th level, you can cast spells with
superhuman speed. As an action, you can expend
a use of your Arcane Surge ability to cast three
different cantrips which have a casting time of 1
action or 1 bonus action. You can’t use your Arcane
Surge feature on any of these cantrips.
House of Pawns
By far the most prominent warmage House is that
of the Pawns. Warmages which join the House of
Pawns learn to stretch their skill with cantrips to its
limits. Pawns can master any cantrip or trick known
to the other warmage houses, for they embody the
adaptability all warmages aspire to.
PROMOTION
When you choose this house at 3rd level, you gain
the adaptability of the quintessential warmage.
You learn one warmage trick of your choice, which
doesn’t count against your total number of warmage
tricks known. Additionally, whenever you learn a
warmage trick, you can learn tricks which have the
House of Bishops, House of Kings, House of Knights,
or House of Rooks as a prerequisite, so long as you
meet all of the tricks other prerequisites.
ADAPTIVE ARCANIST
Also at 3rd level, you learn to emulate the spellcasting
prowess of other warmages. When you finish a short
or long rest, choose one warmage cantrip. You learn
this cantrip, which doesn’t count against the total
number of warmage cantrips you can learn, until you
choose a different one with this feature.
PAWN STORM
Beginning at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip
targeting a creature, you don’t provoke opportunity
attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn,
whether you deal damage using the cantrip or not.
ADDITIONAL ARCANE FIGHTING STYLE
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from
the Arcane Fighting Style class feature.
OPENING MOVE
Starting at 15th level, you can add your Intelligence
modifier to your initiative rolls. Additionally, when
you roll initiative and you are not surprised, you can
move up to your movement speed.
FUNDAMENTAL MASTERY
Starting at 18th level, your magic always finds its way
to your foes most vulnerable spots. Once on each
turn when you roll damage for a warmage cantrip,
you can choose to replace one damage die roll with
the maximum possible result.
House of Rooks
The clandestine members of the House of Rooks
make adept spies, assassins, and scouts, though
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again
until you finish a long rest.
they might just as easily pick up jobs run by rogues
and brigands. In addition to their suite of cantrips,
Rooks are light on their feet and know a few tricks to
magically open doors in utter silence.
ROOK STRIKE
Starting you choose this house at 3rd level, as a
bonus action, you can gain advantage on the next
spell attack roll you make on your turn. Alternatively,
you can impose disadvantage on a saving throw a
creature makes against a warmage spell you cast
before the end of your turn.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest, or you use a
cantrip to reduce a creature to 0 hit points.
RASP
Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the knock spell at
will without using a spell slot or spell components.
When you cast the spell using this ability, the
casting time is increased to 1 minute and the spell is
completely silent.
ARCANE ACROBAT
Beginning at 7th level, you can add your Intelligence
modifier to all Dexterity checks you make.
Additionally, while you are conscious, you ignore
falling damage from falling any distance shorter
than 60 feet. Subtract 60 feet from the distance fallen
when calculating falling damage from further drops.
FLEETING DECOY
At 10th level, as a reaction when you take damage
from a creature you can see, you raise a defensive
illusion to protect you from further harm. Attacks
made against you have disadvantage until the
beginning of your next turn.
ELUSIVE STEP
By 15th level, you’re extremely difficult to pin down.
If you move more than 15 feet on your turn, any
additional movement you make does not provoke
opportunity attacks.
FLASH OF FEATHERS
Starting at 18th level, you can vanish without a trace,
slip behind enemy lines, and dive in for the kill. You
can cast the invisibility spell once, targeting yourself
only, without using a spell slot or spell components.
While you are invisible, your movement speed is
doubled, and you can make one attack or cast one
warmage cantrip without ending the spell.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
until you finish a short or long rest.
LEVEL | PROFICIENCY BONUS | FEATURES | CANTRIPS KNOWN | CANTRIP BONUS DICE | TRICKS KNOWN |
---|
1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Arcane Initiation, Arcane Fighting Style | 4 | 0 | — |
2nd | +2 | Warmage Edge, Warmage Tricks | 4 | 0 | 2 |
3rd | +2 | Warmage House | 5 | 0 | 3 |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 0 | 3 |
5th | +3 | Arcane Surge | 6 | 1 | 4 |
6th | +3 | Tactical Insight | 6 | 1 | 4 |
7th | +3 | Warmage House feature | 6 | 1 | 5 |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 1 | 5 |
9th | +4 | — | 7 | 1 | 6 |
10th | +4 | Warmage House feature | 7 | 1 | 6 |
11th | +4 | Arcane Surge improvement | 7 | 2 | 7 |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 2 | 7 |
13th | +5 | — | 8 | 2 | 8 |
14th | +5 | Strategic Deflection | 8 | 2 | 8 |
15th | +5 | Warmage House feature | 8 | 2 | 9 |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | 2 | 9 |
17th | +6 | — | 9 | 3 | 10 |
18th | +6 | Warmage House feature | 9 | 3 | 10 |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 | 3 | 10 |
20th | +6 | Master Warmage | 10 | 3 | 10 |