Battle Wizard (3.5e Class)
Battle Wizard[edit]
Normally people think of the term 'Wizard' as meaning someone who is not physically strong, but relies on magic to make up for that liability. They think of a warrior as a brawny person low on brains, who smashes everything that gets in the way. A Battle Wizard embraces both of these features using them as the situation needs. A Battle Wizard is trained in combat, although as well he wields a powerful inner magic. Battle Wizards are often soldiers or other warrior-type people until they discovered this magic. They are made for war, but they are extremely rare.
Making a Battle Wizard[edit]
A Battle Wizard has mastered the art of melee fighting, as well as controlling two of the most powerful magics. A Battle Wizard is devoted to these abilities, and his powers make him possibly the most offensive character in the D&D game. However, being so focused on offense develops a weakness, the weakness of feeling invulnerable. Because a Battle Wizard feels invulnerable, he never even considers that he might need to defend himself.
Abilities: Strength is important to a Battle Wizard because it affects his ability to use his weapon. Intelligence is also key to a Battle Wizard because this effects the spells he can use.
Races: Humans are the only race that can be a Battle Wizard. However, offspring of interbreeding between humans and other races, such as half elves, can become Battle Wizards, as they are part human with human ancestors.
Alignment: Any, but most likely true neutral. Battle Wizards control the two opposing magics, the magic of light, and the magic of darkness. These opposites naturally balance each other out, making Battle Wizards most typically neutral.
Starting Gold: 4d4x10gp (100gp).
Starting Age: Complex
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | Favored Weapon, Offensive | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | Underworld Lightning 1/week | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Underworld Lightning 2/week | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +2 | One With the Blade | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Underworld Lightning 3/week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Dance with Death | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Underworld Lightning 4/week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Underworld Lightning 5/week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Soul Blade | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Underworld Lightning 6/week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Underworld Lightning 7/week | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Balance (dex), Climb (str), Concentration (con), Craft (int), Handle Animal (cha), Heal (wis), Jump (str), Profession (wis) Ride (dex), Swim (str), Tumble (dex), Use Rope (dex).
Class Features[edit]
All of the following are class features of the Battle Wizard.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Battle Wizard is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. A Battle Wizard can use all light and medium armor and shields.
Spells: Battle Wizards can cast their spells spontaneously, without having to prepare them. They use Intelligence cast their spells. Battle Wizards also use Mysteries, which come for the Tomb of Magic Shadow magic* section. Battle Wizards choose their spells from the Battle Wizard spell list below.
| Level | Spells Known | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |
| 1st | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 13th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 14th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 15th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 16th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 17th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 18th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 19th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 20th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Mysteries Per Day | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | ||
| 1st | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2nd | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 3rd | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 5th | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 6th | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 7th | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8th | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 9th | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 10th | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 11th | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 12th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 13th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 14th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 15th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| 16th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| 17th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| 18th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| 19th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 20th | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Favored Weapon: (Ex): At first level a Battle Wizard may choose a weapon. They, however, don't have to choose this weapon immediately, and can instead wait until they get the weapon that they feel is right for them. This refers to a specific weapon not the entire type (Example: a Longsword or a Longbow, not all longswords or all longbows). Typically the Battle Wizard will name the weapon. This weapon has its hardness +5 and hp *1.5 (rounding down). The Battle Wizard gains a +2 accuracy bonus to his favored weapon after it's been chosen and named. This weapon can't be replaced, ever, with the possible exception of a wish or miraclespell. This weapon can be magical.
Offensive: (Su): A Battle Wizard is dedicated to being offensive, and so he doesn't believe in defense. A Battle Wizard always takes a -2 penalty per 5 levels to AC. However, the battle Wizard also get -5% spell failure chance from armour every 5 levels. A Battle Wizard often uses heavier armor then normal on account of these effects. If a Battle Wizard is flat-footed, then He takes an additional -2 to AC for the first round of battle. On account of these traits, Battle Wizards often take feats and buy magic items that give them a better AC.
Underworld Lightning: (Sp): At second level and every three levels thereafter, a Battle Wizard can conjure lightning from the very depths of the underworld. This lightning is extremely dangerous, as it cuts a void in light. The lightning shoots out in all directions from the caster for a 10 foot radius, plus 5ft every level up to level 20, then every other level. As well Battle Wizard can choose to have the lightning form in a 20ft cone, also gaining 5ft each level. The lightning deals (Battle Wizards level/2)d6+1d6 damage, no damage reduction or armor bonuses apply, although a reflex roll of DC 10 + Wis or Int bonus(Whichever is higher) + 1/2 the Battle Wizard's Level for half damage. It damages everything including walls and objects, and more importantly allies as well as enemies. The underworld holds no mercy for anything and it does not spare even your friends in battle. At 11th level the damage increases to d8 and at 17th level it increases to d10.
One with the Blade: (Ex): At sixth level a Battle Wizard starts to gain powerful skills with his favored weapon. Using it he can now fight much more skillfully. His newly found skills grant a +2 bonus to attack and damage when using his unique weapon.
Dance with Death: (Su): At 10th level a Battle Wizard becomes able to sense enemies' attacks, and strike his favored weapon where it will do the most damage. This ability grants a +3 Str and Dex bonus and his bonus increases to +4 to accuracy and damage when using his unique weapon.
Soul Blade: (Su): At his 15th level the Battle Wizard receives his most powerful ability. He fuses part of his soul into his favored weapon giving it powers akin to some of the strongest magic items. The weapon gets the ability to shoot chain lightning twice a day as a 15th level spell caster. The sword also gains increased benefits to attack and damage equal to 1/3 (rounded down) your Battle Wizard level. After this it is treated as a type of magic item if it was not one already. You may use the table in the DM's guide number 7-14 for random abilities, role for three major abilities, re-rolling for anything lower then a 37 and choose two to be added to the weapon.
* Shadow Magic: As well as casting spells similarly to other classes, you invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You learn one ,mystery at 1st level and another mystery at each level. Whenever you could gain a mystery, you can instead learn a fundamental mystery. Up to 7th level, you can only learn Apprentice path mysteries. At 8th level you gain access to initiate level mysteries, and at 14th you get master mysteries. For example, a level 8 Battle Wizard can choose from either the fundamental, apprentice, or initiate mystery list. Up to 8th level, a Battle Wizard can only cast apprentice mysteries as spells, requiring everything that spells do. At 8th level, however, you can cast apprentice mysteries as spell-like abilities, and 3/day instead of once. At 14th level these can be cast as supernatural abilities 5/day, and initiate mysteries become spell-like abilities.
* Battle Wizard Spell List:
0- Acid Splash, Daze, Flare, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue, Arcane Mark, Ghost Sound, Resistance
1st- Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Colour Spray, Chill Touch, Cause Fear, Summon Monster I
2nd- Melf's Acid Arrow, Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray, Daze Monster, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Blindness/Deafness, Scare, Summon Monster II
3rd- Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Stinking Cloud, Summon Monster III
4th- Ice Storm, Shout, Phantasmal Killer, Contagion, Summon Monster IV
5th- Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Nightmare, Summon Monster V
6th- Acid Fog, Chain Lightning, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Circle of Death, Disintegrate, Summon Monster VI
7th- Power Word Blind, Insanity, Delayed Blast Fireball, Mordenkaien's Sword, Prismatic Spray, Finger of Death, Waves of Exhaustion, Limited Wish, Summon Monster VII
8th- Incendiary Cloud, Trap the Soul, Power Word Stun, Polar Ray, Greater Shout, Sunburst, Summon Monster VIII
9th- Power Word Kill, Meteor Swarm, Weird, Wail of the Banshee, Wish, Summon Monster IX
Epic Battle Wizard[edit]
| Level | Special |
|---|---|
| 21st | |
| 22nd | Underworld Lightning 8/week |
| 23rd | |
| 24th | Underworld Lightning 9/week |
| 25th | |
| 26th | Underworld Lightning 10/week |
| 27th | |
| 28th | Underworld Lightning 11/week |
| 29th | |
| 30th | Underworld Lightning 12/week |
3 + Int modifier skill points per level.
Underworld Lightning: When you reach epic levels you gain Underworld Lightning once every two levels instead of three. Also it now the damage is increased to d12.
Human Battle Wizard Starting Package[edit]
Armor: Studded leather armor (light +3, max dex +5, check -1, spell fail 15%, speed 30ft
Weapons: Longsword (1d8,crit 19-20/x2, 4lb, one-handed slashing), Shortbow (1d6, crit x3, range inc. 100ft, 3lb piercing.
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.
| Skill | Ranks | Ability | Armor Check Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride | 4 | dex | -1 |
| Concintration | 4 | con | — |
| Heal | 4 | wis | — |
| Search | 2 | int | — |
| Spot | 2 | wis | — |
Feat: Dodge
Gear: Quiver of 20 arrows, Backpack with waterskin, Bedroll, Flint & steel, Hooded lantern, 3 pints oil, One day's trail rations.
Gold: 4d4gp.
Campaign Information[edit]
Battle Wizards are very unique. They are special for a lot of reasons, but the two big ones are that he has multiple types of magic available, and that he comes from a unknown plane. What has become known in Battle Wizard lore as 'The Homeland' was a place of mysterious creatures and powers given to humans that were immense, but even there the most powerful was a Battle Wizard. The land was a peace for a long time after a long war. During this era of peace, some Wizards, Sorcerers, and Battle Wizards tried to find a way to send seven people, three Battle Wizards, two Sorcerers, and two Wizards to a theroiesed plane of existence that had been read about in a sacred temple. Finally, they created the portal, and after a farewell and good luck feast, the adventurers went through the portal. However, something must have gone wrong, because when one of the Battle Wizards awoke, he found all of the other six to be jellified and bloated corpses. The only survivor went and explored this new world. After years of traveling he settled down in a secluded village. Near his last years of life, a grandson of his showed the distinctive powers of being a Battle Wizard, so the old man taught everything he knew to the young Battle Wizard. Since then there was only one known occasion of there being more then two Battle Wizards alive at the same time. Even if a Battle Wizard was to be killed however, it would still be possible for the next to learn, because of a hidden cashe of Battle Wizard lore that only a Battle Wizard can access, hidden near the place where the portal came into existence all those years ago.
Playing a Battle Wizard[edit]
A Battle Wizard is a being of power and destruction. Your goal is simple; root out those who oppose your beliefs. Only you can truly understand the true potential of have multiple types of magic, and only you can see the power of having magic and might to defeat the opposition. The only reason a Battle Wizard would join an adventuring party would be for fun, profit, or to try to gain more knowledge depending on the type of person he is.
Religion: A Battle Wizard respects other people's religions, but he himself has an unusual one. He worships magic, and says that everything has magic, and everything was made bye a single greater power, who is usually referred to as 'The Creator'. However there is the exact opposite of 'The Creator', the Keeper. The Keeper is the lord of the underworld, and sometimes manages to breach the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, in attempts to destroy all life.
Other Classes: The Battle Wizard respects all people, what the believe and what they are trained as are of little importance to him. Even so, the fighter and sorcerer are both classes that the Battle Wizard enjoys being with, seeing as they share similar interests. However other classes are an interest to the Battle Wizard because from them, he can learn different skills.
Combat: A Battle Wizard can have a variety of role in combat. His talents allow him to be a aggressive attacker, but whether he uses his powerful melee skills, or his destructive magic ability, depends on what gaps the party needs filled in.
Advancement: Battle Wizards find themselves skilled enough to have no need to multiclass, and over time they have found it harder and harder to do so. It is possible, but you will take a severe experience penalty. (75% xp loss)
Battle Wizards in the World[edit]
| “ | The best defense is a good offense | ” |
| —Richard Rahl, Human Battle Wizard | ||
Battle wizards are often loners, and only will join up with an adventuring group because he feels he has something to gain from it.
Daily Life: The life of a Battle Wizard is not much different from the life of anyone else, He'll either spend his day practicing with his sword or magic, or some other common job, or if he is aware of his powers he will most likely be trying to find away back to his plane.
Notables: A NPC Battle Wizard would be impossibly uncommon, seeing as they are a absolute max of two of them. If adventures were to come across one, then the Battle Wizard would probably be a King or other high powered official. A evil Battle Wizard would probably be in control of a vast army.
Organizations: There are no organizations that are for only Battle Wizards, but they might sponge in on a warrior's, to train battle skills, or a Wizard's guild, probably to improve their magic. But more likely they will be at the Battle Wizard lair, experimenting.
NPC Reactions: NPC's typically don't know what a Battle Wizard is, seeing as they are so rare. This, and the fact that Battle Wizards don't want to be known as such by the general public, makes people think that they are fighters or mages. However some important or smart individuals, such as powerful wizards and important officials of a king, would probably recognize the term Battle Wizard. If so they are treated almost as if they were another King, if not better.
Battle Wizard Lore[edit]
Characters with ranks in Knowledge, Religion; Knowledge Arcana; or Knowledge History can research Battle Wizards to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 10 | Battle Wizards are very rare. |
| 15 | Battle Wizards have the ability to use magic and might. |
| 20 | Battle Wizards are very powerful and rare beings that can use weapons, and cast powerful spells, including some from the depths of the underworld itself. |
| 25 | Battle Wizards are very rare, as they can only come into existence from two very powerful magic parents, usually one of which is also a Battle Wizard. They can cast a certain magic that is more powerful then almost any other, and comes from the depths of the underworld. |
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | Battle Wizards are very rare. |
| 10 | Battle Wizards have the ability to use magic and might. |
| 15 | Battle Wizards are very powerful and rare beings that can use weapons, and cast powerful spells, including some from the depths of the underworld itself. |
| 20 | Battle Wizards are very rare, as they can only come into existence from two very powerful magic parents, usually one of which is also a Battle Wizard. They can cast a certain magic that is more powerful then almost any other, and comes from the depths of the underworld. |
Battle Wizards in the Game[edit]
A Battle Wizard is typically looking for adventure, or is fighting against 'The Keeper' to prevent him from destroying all life.
Adaptation: A variation of this class might have more powerful magic, or maybe less powerful magic but much more brawn.
Sample Encounter: A powerful party might run across a Battle Wizard as the leader of a hoard of demons, or as a Emperor of a mighty kingdom.
EL 15: <-Scenario Needed->.
<WORK IN PROGRESS>
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