War Magus (5e Class)
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This page is of questionable balance. Reason: This class gains spell levels and class features at the same progression.
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War Magus
A lone warrior stands a hill looking over a bandit camp. Shouts arise as the scouts see him but by then it's too late. The man seemingly teleports into the middle of the camp and a vortex of pure energy swirls around him obliterating everything. A minute later, the man walks away from the smoldering ruin that was once the camp of the most feared bandit in history. War Magi are the epitome of magical might combined with physical abilities.
Creating a War Magus
When making a War Magus, consider questions of character like why your character is adept at both magic and physical might? What pains did they undertake to achieve this, or are they naturally gifted? Are they pompously violent, or silently righteous with this power?
- Quick build
You can make a war magus quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Charisma your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee combat or on your spellcasting. Your next-highest score should be Constitution. Second, choose the soldier background.
Class Features
As a war magus you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per war magus level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per war magus level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from the following: Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Survival and Religion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a longsword or (b) rapier or (c) two simple weapons
- (a) a leather armor and a shield or (b) a scale mail
- (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
- a dungeoneer's pack and two daggers
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Arcane Charge | Cantrips known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||||
| 1st | +2 | Arcane Fighting style, Spellcasting | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | War Magus Edge, Arcane Charge | 10 ft. | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | War Magus Archetype | 10 ft. | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 ft. | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Arcane Resolve (1 use) | 10 ft. | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | War Magus Archetype feature | 15 ft. | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | — | 15 ft. | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 15 ft. | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Arcane Fortitude | 15 ft. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | War Magus Archetype feature | 20 ft. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Arcane Resolve (2 uses) | 20 ft. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 20 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 20 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | War Magus Archetype feature | 25 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Improved Arcane Fortitude | 25 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 25 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Arcane Resolve (3 uses) | 25 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | War Magus Archetype feature | 30 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 30 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Arcane Flash | 30 ft. | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Arcane Fighting Style
You may adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
- Close Quarters Combatant Creatures provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach, and your base movement speed increases by 5 feet.
- Defense While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- Dueling When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
- Protection When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Spellcasting
- Spell Slots. The War Magus 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 A War Magus casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the War Magus spell list given below. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a War Magus gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the Warrant Magus’s spell list. Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list.
- Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your War Magus spells, since you channel your inner resolve of magical power via innate ability. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a war magus spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
War Magus Edge
Starting at 2nd level, your magical powers have awakened. A War Magus is specialized in dealing damage with his spells. Whenever a War Magus casts a spell that deals hit point damage, he adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to the amount of damage dealt. For instance, if a 1st-level War Magus with 17 Intelligence casts magic missile, he deals 1d4+1 points of damage normally, plus an extra 3 points of damage due to his Intelligence bonus. The bonus from the War Magus edge special ability applies only to spells that he casts as a War Magus, not to those he might have by virtue of levels in another class. A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all creatures in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level War Magus casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the War Magus’s choice) gains the extra damage, even if both missiles are directed at the same target. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.
Arcane Charge
Also at 2nd level, you can channel your magical power to your agility and reflex, propelling you further toward your enemies. As a bonus action, you can move toward a hostile creature you can see, up to the distance indicated on the table. If you end your movement at a point 5 feet from a hostile creature, you can make one melee weapon attack against it as a part of the same bonus action.
When you end your movement, all unused movements for Arcane Charge are lost. When you are hit by an opportunity attack provoked by this move, your movement ends at the point you are hit with that opportunity attack.
When you use this feature, you cannot cast a cantrip or a spell at the same turn.
You can use this feature a number of time equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest or long rest.
War Magus Archetype
When you reach 3rd level, choose one of the two following archetype: the Arsenal Magus or the Stratagem Magus, both detailed at the end of the class description.
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Arcane Resolve
Also starting at 5th level, as a bonus action, you can gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your war magus level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short rest or long rest before you can use it again.
You can use this feature twice between rests starting at 11th level and three times between rests starting at 17th level.
Arcane Fortitude
Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on Charisma saving throws to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.
Improved Arcane Fortitude
Starting at 15th level, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.
Arcane Flash
Starting at 20th level, you can channel your magical power to warp the space temporarily, enabling you to teleport through short distance. Your Arcane Charge feature can now teleport you, instead of moving. If you do so, you must teleport to an unoccupied space you can see up to the distance you can move with your Arcane Charge feature.
Additionally, you can use your Arcane Charge feature unlimited times.
War Magus Archetypes
Arsenal Magus
| “ | "Invoker, now, eh? No longer the Arsenal Magus?" | ” |
| —Rubick, the Grand Magus, to Carl | ||
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | protection from good and evil, shield |
| 2nd | aid, zone of truth |
| 3rd | counterspell, protection from energy |
| 4th | banishment, death ward |
| 5th | wall of stone, wall of force |
- Bonus Proficiencies
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency in heavy armors.
- Arcane Maneuver
At 3rd level, when you make an attack using your "Arcane Charge" feature, you can instead attempt to shove or trip the target with your superflous magic. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. The save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, you push the target up to 10 feet away from you, or you knock the target prone.
- Arcane Arsenal
Also starting at 3rd level, your arcane knowledge enables you to imbue your weaponry and armor with magical power, enhancing their combat abilities. You can perform a 1-hour ritual to imbue magic into up to two weapons, an armor, and a shield. If you attempt to imbue magic to a third weapon, a second armor, or a second shield, you must first dismiss the magic imbued to one of the previous equipment.
The imbued weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Additionally, you gain access to an extensive list of arcane warfare. Choose two from the following options, one from Arcane Weapon options and another from Arcane Armor options:
- Arcane Weapon: Arcane Akimbo. When you engage in two-weapon fighting with the imbued weapon, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the damage of the second attack, instead of the modifier you added to the first attack.
- Arcane Weapon: Empowered Blow. When you hit a creature no more than one size larger than you with a heavy imbued weapon, you can make a powerful blow with the weapon. The creature must make a Strength save throw against your war magus spell save DC. On a failed save, you knock the creature prone or push it up to 15 feet away from you.
- Arcane Weapon: Sage's Precision. You can use your Wisdom modifier, instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, when you make a melee weapon attack with an imbued weapon with finesse property.
- Arcane Weapon: Touching the Intangible. When you make a melee weapon attack with an imbued weapon on your turn, you can increase your reach for one attack by 5 feet.
- Arcane Armor: Concentrated Stance. When you end your turn without moving while wearing medium or heavy imbued armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and Constitution saving throws to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage, until the start of your next turn.
- Arcane Armor: Dampening Shield. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage while wielding an imbued shield, you instead take no damage on a successful save, and only half damage on a failed save.
- Arcane Armor: Elemental Shield. Whenever you take a short rest or long rest, choose one damage type from acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder. When you are wielding an imbued shield, you gain resistance to the chosen damage type.
- Arcane Armor: Full Metal Magus. While you are wearing a heavy imbued armor and wielding an imbued shield, you bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from nonmagical source os reduced by 3.
- Arcane Armor: Sage's Reflex. When you are wearing light imbued armor, you add your Wisdom modifier to AC, to the maximum of +2.
- Arcane Armor: Solid as a Rock. As long as you are wearing heavy imbued armor and not incapacitated, you cannot be shoved or knocked prone by creatures no more than one size larger than you, and you have advantages on Strength saving throws against being grappled.
- Arcane Reflex
Starting at 6th-level, feature, when you provoke opportunity attacks while moving with your "Arcane Charge" feature, all attack rolls on those opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage.
- Additional Fighitng Style
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style feature.
- Improved Arcane Arsenal
When you reach 14th level, you gain one additional options from the Arcane Arsenal feature.
- Arcane Vortex
Starting at 18th-level feature. When you move with your Arcane Charge feature, you create a vortex of magical energy centered from the point you stopped. Each creature in 5-foot-radius from that point makes a Costitution saving throw. The save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, the creature takes 4d10 force damage, and half the damage on a successful save. A creature that failed the save also falls prone.
Stratagem Magus
| “ | "Even the Arsenal Magus falls before my magic." | ” |
| —Rubick, the Grand Magus, to Carl | ||
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | burning hands, thunderwave |
| 2nd | gust of wind, scorching ray |
| 3rd | fireball, lightning bolt |
| 4th | ice storm, wall of fire |
| 5th | arcane hand, cone of cold |
- Combat Spellcasting
Starting at 3rd level, you can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
- Arcane Skirmish
Also starting at 3rd level, when you make an attack using your "Arcane Charge" feature, you can instead cast a cantrip on the target. The cantrip must have a casting time of 1 action and must require an attack roll.
- Arcane Surge
Starting at 6th level, you can harness your resolve to recharge your magical powers. As a bonus action, you can restore one expended spell slot. The spell slot restored this way must be a 1st-level spell slot. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 10th level, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage you deal with any war magus spell.
- Improved Arcane Skirmish
Starting at 14th level, when you make an attack using your Arcane Charge feature, you can instead cast a spell on the target. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.
- Improved Arcane Surge
Starting at 18th level, when you use your Arcane Surge feature, you can restore two 1st-level slots, or one 2nd-level spell slot, instead of one 1st-level spell slot.
War Magus Spell List
- 1st-level Spells
- chromatic orb
- mage armor
- disguise self
- feather fall
- magic missile
- 2nd-level Spells
- detect thoughts
- gust of wind
- invisibility
- magic weapon
- mirror image
- 3rd-level Spells
- vampiriric touch
- dispel magic
- fly
- haste
- major image
- 4th-level Spells
- confusion
- dimension door
- greater invisiblilty
- polymorph
- stoneskin
- 5th-level Spells
- seeming
- mislead
- teleportation circle
- passwall
- telekinesis
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the war magus class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13 and Strength 13 or Dexterity 13.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the war magus class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple weapons, light armor.
Spellcasting. Calculate your war magus level as one third when determining your total spellcaster level with multiclassing.
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