Death Magus (5e Subclass)
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Death Magus[edit]
Fighter Archetype
Death magus are fighters who master the art of combining necromantic magic and martial prowess, becoming feared warriors. They are often call death knights or death blades, and some even mistaken the most powerful of Death Magus by the personification of death itself - the grim reaper, since they can siphon the life of creatures with their blades. Some death magus act as servants of powerful necromancers, serving as bodyguards and assassins for their masters. Others are academics of death, that master the secrets of the necromantic arts in the search of pure knowledge, driving from both arcane and divine magic to manifest necromantic magic.
| Fighter Level |
Cantrips Known |
Spells Known |
—Spell Slots per Spell Level— | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 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 |
- Spellcasting
By 3rd level, you have learned to draw on necromantic magic through channeling the power of negative energy on other planes.
- Preparing and Casting Spells
- The death magus table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your death magus spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
- You prepare the list of death magus spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Death Magus Spell List. When you do so, choose a number of death magus spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your death magus level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
- For example, if you are a 5th-level paladin, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell inflict wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
- You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of death magus spells requires time spent in study: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
- Spellcasting Ability
- Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your death magus spells, since their power derives from the strength of your convictions. 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 death magus 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
- Necrotic Blade
At 3rd level, when you finish a long rest, you can touch a melee weapon of your choice and turn it into your necrotic blade, until the end of your next turn. You can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of your Strength or Dexterity, for attacks and damage rolls with the necrotic blade, and you can use the blade as a spellcasting focus for your Death Magus spells.
In addition, whenever you cast Death Magus spell that requires a spell attack, you can make an attack with your Necrotic Blade as part of the action used to cast the spell. On a hit, in addition to the normal effects of the attack, you deliver the spell.
- Reaping Strike
At 7th level, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of the attacks you are able to make to, instead, cast one of your necromancy cantrips.
- Death Acolyte
At 10th level, the necrotic damage caused by your Death Magus features and spells ignore resistances to necrotic damage.
In addition, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.
- Reaping Magic
At 15th level, when you cast a spell from the necromancy school that targets a single creature, you can target two creatures instep, within 5 feet of each other.
- Superior Necromancy
At 18th level, you can prepare a single spell from the necromancy school of 5th-level. You can cast that spell once, without spending a spell slot, and can't do it again until you finish a long rest.
When you cast your Superior Necromancy spell using an action, you can make a single attack with a weapon as a bonus action.
List of Necromancy Spells[edit]
- Cantrips
chill touch, spare the dying, toll the dead
- 1st-level
cause fear, false life, inflict wounds, ray of sickness
- 2nd-level
blindness/deafness, gentle repose, ray of enfeeblement
- 3rd-level
animate dead, bestow curse, feign death, life transference, revivify, speak with dead, vampiric touch
- 4th-level
blight, shadow of moil
- 5th-level
contagion, danse macabre, enervation, negative energy flood, raise dead
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