Muscle Wizard (5e Class)
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Muscle Wizard
Based of the absurdist wizard school by Doctor Necrotic. [1]
A man clad in blue robes strides up a hill, when reaching the crest he sees the armies of hell before him. They all turn towards him; weapons clanging, roars of blood lust and the beating of war drums. But, before the forces of evil can do anything, the man's shirt explodes off of him revealing perfect physique. He stands raising his fist, chuckling as he does. Confused, a brave fiend asks him what is so funny, the man replies jovially. 'Well. I CAST FIST!' and when he does, plunging his hand to the ground, the entire hill explodes into a mushroom cloud of dirt and demonic corpses. As the dust clears, the mountain of rubble and bodies settling as the man stands unharmed atop it. The hordes, severely reduced, stand shaken as this man, with one punch, eviscerated hundreds of them. Then the man states: 'Who's next!'
Warriors of great strength, and great knowledge
Muscle Wizards are pinnacles of both physical and arcane prowess. This stems from encounters between monks who followed the Way of the Open Hand and more martial oriented mages, which led to some of the mages to adopt the monks way of fighting. Instead of conjuring traditional spells, they focused the arcane energies into their fists which greatly increased the destructive power of their unarmed strikes. These boxer wizards then began refining their unique art, passing down traditions which evolved through generations, eventually becoming an obscure, yet powerful and disciplined form of magic. Muscle Wizards are usually very proud of their art, as it has grueling and repetitive training that could kill someone from exhaustion. The result are musclebound wielders of magic, they are often underestimated as mindless barbarians and are quite surprised when the 'brainless ruffian' turns out to be a master historical scholar on the side. This versatility makes Muscle Wizards very difficult opponents, as they can both use advanced battle tactics and single-handedly carry out those plans.
Creating a Muscle Wizard
![maxresdefault.jpg](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gxQDsWDMveM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Alex Armstrong, a prime example of a Muscle Wizard. Credit: Full Metal Alchemist |
How did you embark on your journey of martial wizardry? Are you the most recent practitioner of a family tradition that has spanned generations? Were you unhappy with your mundane life and decide that this was the best way to alleviate boredom? What ever the reason, you have begun a journey of intense training of body and mind that will leave you stronger than all others.
- Quick Build
You can make a Muscle Wizard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence, then Constitution and Dexterity should be high as well. Second, choose the Dog of the Military background. Third, choose Steel Gauntlets, Arcane focus and dungeoneer's pack.
Class Features
As a Muscle Wizard you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Muscle Wizard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Muscle Wizard level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Unarmed, simple, gauntlet types.
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from: Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine or Religion
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) A Brass Knuckle. [[2]] or (b) Two Steel Gauntlets.[[3]]
- (a) A component pouch or (b) An arcane focus
- A dagger
- (a) A dungeoneer's pack or (b) A scholar's pack
Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Cantrips | Spells Known | Features | Brutal Fist | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | ||||||
1st | +2 | - | - | Brutal Fist, Attack rush, Unarmored Defense | 1d4 | — | — | — | — | — |
2nd | +2 | - | - | Spellcasting | 1d4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
3rd | +2 | 1 | 3 | Archetypes, Archetype Feature, spellcasting | 1d4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
4th | +2 | 2 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement, Muscle enhancement | 1d4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
5th | +3 | 2 | 5 | Brutal Fist-2 | 1d6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
6th | +3 | 2 | 6 | Extra Attack | 1d6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
7th | +3 | 2 | 7 | Archetype Feature | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
8th | +3 | 2 | 8 | Ability Score Improvement, Mental enhancement | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
9th | +4 | 2 | 9 | — | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
10th | +4 | 2 | 12 | Threatening Appearance | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
11th | +4 | 2 | 13 | Brutal Fist-3 | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
12th | +4 | 2 | 14 | Ability Score Improvement, Extra Attack, Muscle enhancement | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
13th | +5 | 2 | 15 | Archetype Feature | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
14th | +5 | 3 | 16 | — | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
15th | +5 | 3 | 17 | Archetype Feature | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
16th | +5 | 3 | 18 | Ability Score Improvement, Mental enhancement | 2d4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
17th | +6 | 3 | 18 | Brutal Fist-4 | 2d6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
18th | +6 | 3 | 19 | Extra Attack | 2d6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
19th | +6 | 4 | 19 | Ability Score Improvement | 2d6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
20th | +6 | 4 | 20 | Brutal Fist-5, Serious Punch | 2d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Brutal Fist
You have the knowledge to enhance your punches with arcane energy. At 1st level your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 damage. This increases at 5th, 11th, 17th and 20th level. From 11th level onward your punches are treated as magical for overcoming resistances and immunities.
Attack Rush
Starting at 1st level, you may make an unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Unarmoured Defense
Also at 1st level, you have managed to combine your physical and mental strengths to protect you. Your unarmoured AC=10+StrengthMod+IntelligenceMod
Spellcasting
You use your mighty intelligence combined with your strength to cast spells. The number of spells you know is shown on the table above, along with the amount of cantrips you know.
Spellsave DC: 8 + Int mod + Proficiency
Spell Attack: Prof. Bonus + Int mod
Archetypes
At 3rd level you decide to begin specialising in one of the two important aspects of Muscle Wizardry. The raw, unbeatable strength that defines the physically most powerful. Or the refined, tactical intelligence that focuses more on the arcane aspect of this discipline.
Archetype features are listed at the bottom of the page.
Muscle Enhancement
At 4th level and again at 12th you gain an additional +1 to your Strength, which has a maximum of 22 for you.
Ability Score Increase
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. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level you can attack with weapons or fists twice instead of once. This increases to 3 times at 12th level and 4 times at 18th.
Mental Enhancement
At 8th level and again at 16th you gain an additional +1 to Intelligence, which has a max of 22 for you.
Threatening Appearance
At 10th level your superhuman physicality causes the following effects:
Your height increases by 2d12 inches and your weight by 10x2d6 lbs.
Your imposing nature means that you gain disadvantage on all charisma checks other than Intimidation.
You gain disadvantage on Stealth (Dex) checks.
You count as one size larger for effects of pushing and being pushed
Serious Punch
At 20th level, you have mastered the arcane art of enhancing your unarmed melee attacks with magic. By expending all of your spell slots, you can bring ultimate destruction to your foes. You punch either an enemy, object or the ground dealing 34d4+Strength+Intelligence bludgeoning damage. This causes the following effects to occur:
-A 50 ft conical blast wave emanates from the point of impact. All those inside must succeed on a Dex or Con save against your Spell DC or take 3d8 thunder damage, are pushed 15 ft away and knocked prone, and are deafened until the end of the target's next turn. On a success, the target takes half damage and isn't pushed or deafened.
-The shear force and speed of the impact causes an explosion in a 40 ft radius. All targets, Aside from yourself, must succeed on a Con save against your DC or take 2d6 Fire and 2d10 Force damage, and be stunned. On a success, they don't take the force damage and aren't stunned.
-The ground cracks and debris is scattered around in a 25 ft radius from the shockwave. All targets in the area, aside from yourself, must make a Dex or Con save against your Spell DC or take 3d4 Piercing damage. On a success they take half as much.
You can only perform this attack if you have all of your spell slots and if you have no exhaustion levels. All damage is considered magical to overcome non-magical resistance, as well as treats magical immunity as resistance. All resulting effects of the initial punch treat immunity to their respective damage as resistance due to the shear force and intensity of the attack, and ignores magical resistance. After performing this attack, you use up all of your spell slots and are reduced to the 4th level of exhaustion.
Way of the Closed Fist
These are people who take the art of punching things to the extreme, they focus more on their physical strength rather than their spellcasting.
Brutish Resolve
At 3rd level you gain advantage to Strength Saving throws and ability checks.
Consecutive Punches
At 7th level you can expend a spell slot to perform an additional unarmed attack with your bonus action. Expending slots above level 1 grants an additional extra attack (e.g. +2 attacks Level 2; +3 attacks Level 3; etc.)
Martial Prowess
At 13th level you have trained your body so hard that you gain one of the following effects of your choice:
1.You gain a +2 to either Dex or Con, or +1 to both.
2.You gain Proficiency in either Dex or Con Saving throws.
3.You gain Proficiency in Martial Melee weapons.
Barbaric Fist
At 15th level your Brutal Fist damage is the dice of the highest tier (2d8), and at 20th level the damage equals 2d10.
Way of the Open Mind
These individuals are more magic based, using a wider range of spells and living up to their Muscle Wizard name.
Intellectual Resolve
At 3rd level you gain advantage to Intelligence Saving throws.
Improved Spellcasting
At 7th level you manage to expand your range of spells, you can now access all Evocation spells.
Tactical Prowess
At 13th level you have trained your mind so hard that you gain one of the following effects of your choice:
1.You gain a +2 to either Wis or Cha, or +1 to both.
2.You gain Proficiency in either Wis or Cha Saving throws.
3.You gain Proficiency in Two tools of your choice.
Psychic Fist
At 15th level your Brutal Fist damage is the dice of the tier two below (2d4), but your Brutal fist now can be cast at a range of 40 ft.
Spell List
You learn spells based on your archetype.
Way of the Open Mind Spell List
Cantrips -Acid Splash -Blade Ward -Chill Touch -Control Flames -Mage Hand -Message -Mending -Mold Earth -Shape Water -Shocking Grasp -True Strike
1st level -Absorb Elements -Alarm -Burning Hands -Catapult -Command -Comprehend Languages -Detect Magic -Earth Tremor -Identify -Jump -Longstrider -Sleep -Unseen Servant
2nd level -Alter Self -Arcane Lock -Darkness -Darkvision -Enhance Ability -Hold Person -Invisibility -Knock -Locate Object -Maximilian's Earthen Grasp -Mirror Image -Shatter -Silence -Web
3rd level -Bestow Curse -Call Lightning -Daylight -Dispel Magic -Erupting Earth -Fear -Fly -Stinking Cloud -Water Breathing
4th level -Arcane Eye -Confusion -Dimension Door -Fabricate -Freedom of Movement -Locate Creature -Polymorph
5th level -Awaken -Bigby's Hand -Dominate Person -Geas -Hold Monster -Scrying -Wall of Stone
Way of the Closed Fist Spell List
Cantrips -Acid Splash -Blade Ward -Booming Blade -Chill Touch -Fire Bolt -Green-Flame Blade -Light -Magic Stone -Shocking Grasp -True Strike
1st level -Alarm -Burning Hands -Catapult -Chromatic Orb -Detect Magic -Earth Tremor -Identify -Inflict Wounds -Shield -Thunderwave
2nd level -Cloud of Daggers -Darkness -Earthbind -Enlarge/Reduce -Enhance Ability -Hold Person -Knock -Levitate -Maximilian's Earthen Grasp -Scorching Ray -Shatter
3rd level -Dispel Magic -Elemental Weapon -Erupting Earth -Fear -Fireball -Haste -Lightning Bolt -Vampiric Touch
4th level -Blight -Fabricate -Fire Shield -Ice Storm -Stone Skin -Storm Sphere
5th level -Bigby's Hand -Cone of Cold -Destructive Wave -Hold Monster -Telekinesis -Wall of Stone
Multiclassing
Due to the extreme training and specialist nature of the Muscle Wizard, they cannot multiclass out of this class. If your character reaches level 20 with at least 15 levels in Wizard, they may go through a physically taxing accomplishment deemed by the DM to transfer those 5 other levels into Muscle Wizard.
Prerequisites. To mulitclass into the Muscle Wizard class, you must have: 20 Strength, 15 Intelligence and you must abandon all prior class's features, proficiences and spells.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass you gain the following proficiences: Unarmed Strike, Gauntlet weapons.
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